A Vulcan's Past and Future
by jackalope21
Summary: Spock has to decide whether his feelings are rational and logical when it comes to someone from his past. And what happens when things take a turn for the worst? Does he dare act on his fear, concern and guilt?
1. Strange New World

**~Okay, so I'm going to give this a shot. Again, i know i have a lot of unfinished stories, but ya'll know how it gets. When random things pop into your head, you have to type them. lol. I'm not a -die-hard- fan of the original series, so if i get a few things wrong, please don't bite my head off, just let me know so I can go back and edit it. Other then that, I have added another few characters because it is so much easier to make them do whatever you want in a story instead of worrying about compromising an existing character people love. Oh, and if you've ever seen 'Chronicles of Riddick' you'll recognize the name of the other race but that wasn't intentional. The term for 'animal/human' hybrid drawings is usually a fury, so there ya go. I promise it picks up and comments are totally welcome. Please and Thank you! Enjoy!~**

**~Chapter 1: The Strange New World~**

The planet was hot. The air was humid and whenever one of them would touch their skin, there was distinct feeling of stickiness. You only had to take three steps from the ship before feeling the heat and beginning to drip with sweat.

Looking around, Kirk noticed the dense jungle like land everywhere. He remembered hearing about places like this on Earth, thick jungles where no matter of light could pierce the thick foliage, vines hung from the trees and it rained more then fifty percent of the time.

"Captain, I haven't seen anything like this before." Sulu said staring around. "And the gravity is tremendous. I feel like I weigh three hundred pounds."

"We seem to have landed on Furia." Spock said glancing at his surroundings.

"How do you know that?" Jim asked.

"It has been a great deal of time since my visit to this world, but it does resemble Furia. The Furians and Vulcans used to trade with one another. They are a diplomatic race, but if I am not mistaken, there will be at least a handful of guards surrounding us right now. Very little goes on without them noticing."

"What are you talking about?" Kirk laughed halfheartedly. "There's nobody for miles."

"I wouldn't be so sure Captain." Spock replied, eyes still trained on the horizon.

Kirk cringed at the thought of having to deal with the natives of this planet. The shuttle they had taken to explore the new planet had been pulled down to the world's surface by the sheer power of its gravity. They had simply wanted to explore a new world and now it had become a survival mission. It was then he wondered why Spock hadn't said anything earlier? It would have saved them all a lot of trouble. But the crew was fine and the ship was, for the most part okay, despite needing a little bit of work done to her thrusters so they would be able to escape the planet's gravitational pull.

Kirk had this to think about and now he was being plagued with the unshakable feeling that he was being watched. Somewhere in the mass of green, were eyes watching, waiting to make their move.

"Captain," Spock began.

"I hear 'em." He muttered.

Before any of them could do anything, half a dozen large men in armor leapt from the seclusion of the trees and landed in a circle, surrounding the stunned crew.

Sharp weapons that resembled spears, where pointed at any major organ or artery they could manage.

"Uhura," Kirk whispered, his hands extended up in a surrendering motion.

The young woman adjusted her head to the side to hear what he had to say better. Most of the crew was prohibited from leaving the ship for the simple fact that three hundred people were difficult to keep track of, and until Spock had said anything, they weren't sure where they had landed. However, a few people had left the Enterprise with him. Of course there was Spock, his second in command, Uhura had come along since she had a knack with multiple languages, Sulu, and Scotty joined them as well. Bones stayed behind on the ship which didn't much surprise Kirk. The man had an almost irrational fear of diseases for being a doctor.

"Uhura, ya think you could talk some sense into them?" Kirk whispered as the men in the ornate but dangerous armor closed in.

"I don't think they'll listen to me." She hissed back.

As they stood there starring at what might be the end of them, Spock stepped forward and began to address the soldiers.

"My name is Spock, son of Sarek, one of the members of the Vulcan High Council. King Thaus will be most interested in seeing me and my colleges." He declared confidently.

The rest of the crew looked from one another, unsure of what had just happened. Kirk shrugged to the others as the guards spoke tone another in their own language. Finally, after a few more stressful moments then the Captain would have liked, the weapons were relinquished and the soldiers had stepped back, the commanding officer stepped forward and addressed the Vulcan.

"We will take you to see him of course." He said politely extending his hand, his voice thick with a foreign accent.

The other human's watched again, still unnerved and confused as Spock extended his hand, the two gripped the others forearm tightly and nodded slightly to one another.

With a whistle from their commander, horses came running from the jungle, bounding gracefully to the side of their owner. Kirk stared at the large beasts for a moment. The best he was able to compare them to, was an Earth horse, but it was more then obvious they weren't.

Instead of being lean, and aerodynamic like most of the horses on Earth were, these beasts were larger, more muscular and commanded the attention of anyone nearby. They had a much shorted snout, but still similar nostrils and instead of having a single hoof like the others, they had them split, similar to those of a goat. Curious looking creatures but beautiful in their own right.

"Come. Each of you can ride with one of my men to the palace."


	2. Introductions

**~Okay, here's a lil more. Let me know what you think.~**

**~Chapter2: Introductions~**

There was so much about this world that seemed to be visually stimulating. Kirk couldn't help but stare at their surroundings as they bounded through the thick jungle, coming out near a large city that seemed horribly out of place. It was modern, new, and it was obvious they had other forms of transportation besides the beasts, but they rode them none the less.

It was then Kirk noticed, in the center of the busy city, was a large ornate building. It seemed to be carved purely from white marble, glistening in the sunlight. It was beautiful and though something you didn't see very often, it seemed to blend in seamlessly with the surrounding structures. The Captain felt the beasts slow as they neared the massive building, slowing to a trot when they rode through the front gates.

The group of five were soon led into the vast throne room. Extravagant pieces of art, and portraits, most likely past kings and queens, adorned the walls along with a multitude of tapestries. The room reminded Kirk or ancient Egypt with a Hindu twist. Despite the efficiency and modern style of the city they had ridden through, it was obvious these people prided themselves on their history.

The further they walked into the room, the more they saw and the more Kirk noticed a large dais in the center of the far wall, the throne. Resting on the high platform, nestled perfectly atop the stairs, sat an older looking man, staring down at them.

His keen eyes watched the strangers as they came to a stop twenty feet from the base of the stairs. The man stood. He was intimidating, either from the rank he held on this planet or the sheer size of him. He had to measure more then six feet tall, wide shoulders, and a silver robe that seemed to exaggerate everything about him. He was balding, a beard hanging to the middle of his chest. But despite the grey hair, his face looked remarkably young. The crown on his head wasn't overly extravagant either, somehow, it didn't seem like he would need it. Instead, it was a thinner band, ornate metal working without the need of any gems that rested lightly on the crown of his head. All in all, the man was definitely made for power.

His eyes scanned over the crew, his expression cold and judging, before coming to Spock. The serious expression quickly converted into a smile. Kirk was amazed that the simplest smile transformed such a frightening man.

"Spock my boy." He said loudly, voice booming and echoing in the open chamber, drenched with a similar accent to the soldier. "How have you been?"

"Quite well your highness." He said, bowing low to show his respect.

The others exchanged looks before bowing as well. The last thing Kirk wanted to do was piss off someone like this. He wasn't sure if the man was affiliated with the Federation, he didn't know how far his reach was if he was involved and even if he wasn't, Kirk didn't want this man's armada coming after their ship.

"It has been far too long." He said in the same loud, jovial tone. "I see you have grown into a fine young man." He smiled once more from his platform before it slowly faded. "I have heard about your planet. I am sorry."

Spock didn't reply for a moment. Instead, his eyes diverted to the marble ground before looking back up and nodding his understanding.

"Who are the others with you?" the king finally asked.

"I am Captain James T. Kirk with the U.S.S. Enterprise." Kirk declared, still trying to sound respectful but authoritative. "Spock is my first in command. This is one of our pilots Mr. Sulu, Commander Scott and Lieutenant Uhura."

"I see Captain Kirk. And how can I help you?" the king asked, his smile gone and his tone returning to the business sound he most likely used with others.

"Our ship crashed a few miles north of here. We simply ask for time to fix it."

"You seem to think that there would be a problem with that." The king remarked with a cocked eyebrow. "We are a peaceful people and have no problem if you're in need. All we ask is that you don't cause any problems."

"Thank you sir." He said with another slight bow.

"All I ask is you allow a few of my men to assist you." He said with a slight smile.

"Of course." He replied.

"I see we have company." A feminine voice said from behind the large ruler.

Waiting for a moment, Kirk couldn't help but notice Spock lean over to him slightly.

"Captain, it will be in your best interest not to stare at the princess." He said calmly.

"Stare?" he asked with a laugh. "I'm not a child."

"I am simply warning you that if the King finds you staring at his only daughter, there will be no amount of help I can give you."

Kirk shrugged and laughed it off just as the young woman came walking into view behind her father. Immediately, his jaw went slack. The young woman came to a halt beside her father, her arm resting on the back of his impressive throne.

The young woman stood there, her black and blue hair tied tightly in a bun. The lower half of her face was concealed behind a light, nearly transparent piece of cloth with beading. Her outfit was something he had never seen before either. The cuffs on her upper arms were a beautifully embossed metal with cloth draping down to her finger tips. Her top was nothing more then a breast plate, the metal matching that of her cuffs along with a thick metal belt around her hips, a flowing purple skirt hanging from it.

As he stood there, gawking at the young woman, he hadn't noticed she had begun to descend the dais, walking closer to the group without so much as a single sound emanating from her foot steps. When Kirk had finally snapped to, the young woman was at his side, hugging Spock.

The fact that she was hugging him wasn't what was so shocking, the fact that he was hugging back is what nearly floored the others in the crew. He held her tightly like a human would an old friend and released the smiling woman. It was then Kirk noticed her ears, they were just like Spock's… strange.

The young woman soon turned to face the others, a smile, though not visible, still on her face.

"Hello." She said kindly. "I'm Tryalah."

It took him a moment to realize she had said something to him. He wouldn't help but be distracted by the interesting color of her eyes. They were an intense blue and purple, not to mention the obvious feline pupil.

"You will have to forgive the captain." He heard Spock say. "He has never met a Furian."

"I see." She smiled.

"I'm sorry." He finally said snapping to. "James Kirk. I'm the captain."

"Well James Kirk captain, it is nice to meet you." She smiled once more.

"How do you know Spock?" Uhura finally asked, making her presence known.

Spock could hear the jealously in her voice and he knew Tryalah could too.

"I have known his family since Sarek was a child." She replied.

"Sarek?"

"Spock's father." She said walking closer to the young human.

"How is that…"

"I am much older then I look." She answered, any hint of a smile long since vanished. "You and Spock… are you together?"

The question made Uhura's face drop. She knew he didn't want anyone on the Enterprise to know the two of them had a relationship and the hesitation she was showing would most likely give it away.

Trya simply looked at her and smiled once more.

"Well that is nice. He has a wonderful smile does he not?" she asked.

"He's Vulcan. They don't smile." Uhura replied smugly. She knew there was no way anyone could have made Spock smile.

"Oh." She said happily, nearly laughing the words. "I'm afraid I thought you two were close. My mistake."

Uhura felt her mouth go dry. This woman had deliberately said that to hurt her feelings and the others knew it as well.


	3. Old Friends

**~Now a little more is going to happen.~**

**~Chapter 3: Old Friends~**

While the others had set off to repair the ship, Spock had taken it upon himself to visit with the Princess, despite the looks he had been receiving from Uhura.

He wandered through the halls, a few memories of the building's layout still in his mind guiding him. He came to a vast doorway leading to the gardens outside, and there he saw her. Tryalah's back was to him while she fed the planet's birds. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Spock made his way through the open door and out into the sun. The closer he got to her, the more his mind raced with the past memories of her, and before he could speak, she turned to him and smiled.

"Hello again." she smiled wide.

Spock stared at her dangerously sharp teeth as they gleamed in the light, suddenly realizing she had removed the veil covering her face.

"I don't see you for years and now twice in one day?" she teased. "What is the occasion?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand. You..."

"I am teasing you Spock." she laughed. "Simply joking."

The Vulcan nodded as she turned back to the animals, tossing one more handful of of seed to them as they darted around for the food.

"So what can I do for you?" she asked, her back still to him.

"I simply wanted to come and speak with you."

She turned to face him once more with a questioning look.

"Anything in particular?" she asked kindly.

The young Vulcan glanced down at the ground, searching his mind for something to talk about. He was above something as trivial as 'small talk', but at the moment, he couldn't think of anything to say.

"I am afraid I have nothing to talk about. I am sorry for disturbing you."

She watched as he turned his back to her and began walking away. There was no holding it back, Tryalah had to laugh. At the unusual sound of laughter, Spock turned to face her once more.

"Is something amusing?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." she giggled. "You."

"I'm afraid I do not understand."

"Just because you have nothing to say, does not mean you have to leave."

"But if there is nothing to talk about, what else is there to do?"

"I forgot how you Vulcans were." she laughed, walking up to him and looping her arm around his. "Come, we will walk and talk about the past."

Spock nodded to her as he usually did when he resigned himself to the whims of another and let her hold his arm as they walked back into the palace.

Back at the ship, Kirk and the others had gone to work on the shuttle. There was less work that needed to be done then he thought, and even less for him to do with Scotty there, but he felt it necessary to remain. As he watched the mechanic toil away, his mind would drift. Somehow, Trya had pushed pass all his other thoughts and stood prominently in his mind. He couldn't help it.

Something about the young woman was fascinating. Perhaps it was simply because she was an attractive young woman and nothing else. No, that couldn't be it. He had seen plenty of them over the years... But there wasn't anything wrong with gawking at a new one.

As Kirk's mind swam with blissful, and slightly inappropriate thoughts about the Princess, he felt something come crashing down on his foot.

"OW!" he whined, grabbing his right foot in his hand.

Glancing down, Kirk saw Scotty laughing, a large wrench in hand.

"What the hell'd you do that for?" he asked letting his foot come to rest on the ground once more.

"Jus' tryin' ta let ya know Spock's back." he grinned before disappearing back into the ship.

Turning, Kirk saw the Commander walking back up to the group. Much to his dismay, Tryalah wasn't with him.

"Captain, I would like to speak with you for a moment." he finally said as he came to a stop in front of Kirk.

"Huh? Sure. Yeah, no problem."

"In private if you don't mind." Spock told him, seeing Uhura and Sulu sticking their head out from around the corner to hear what was going on. Looking down, he saw Scotty frantically going back to work to make it appear as though he wasn't listening.

"Sure." Kirk replied as the two walked off to the side, a few feet from the group.

"Captain, I have come with a proposal."

Kirk eyed him for a moment, a wide smile crossing his face. This was too easy.

"Well, I'm sorry Spock, but you're not my type." he laughed.

"I do not under..."

Kirk held up his hand to keep him from finishing his sentence, still laughing at his dumb joke.

"Go ahead." he said. "What do you need?"

Spock eyed the man for a moment before speaking again.

"I have come to speak with you about Princess Tryalah."

The smiled on Kirk's face soon went from jovial, to sly.

"What about her?"

"The Princess has always expressed the fascination with other worlds and space. I was wondering if it would be at all possible for her to join us?"

Kirk's insides jumped at the thought of that woman walking around his ship at all times. She may not realize it, but she was in store for a relentless barash of charming.

"But what about the Federation?" he asked, trying to make it seem like he wouldn't be giving in to easily. "We aren't allowed to pick up everyone that wants a free ride."

"There should be no problem. The Princess was an Ambassador for her planet years ago and it would only be logical that she assume the position once more on our ship."

"You've given this some thought." he laughed.

"No more then anything else." Spock replied simply.

"Well..." he sighed, again making it look like he was having to make a hard decision. "I don't have a problem with it as long as it doesn't start a war."

"There should be no problem with her leaving the planet, but if there is, it will be settled the old fashioned way."

Kirk eyed the Vulcan, wondering what the hell that could have meant. Was there a debate? Some kind of contest? How was there an 'old fashioned' way? As he stared at the expressionless face of the Commander, Scotty called out to them.

"Oi!" he yelled, waving them over.

"What is it?" Kirk asked as they came to his side.

"She's all done Cap'n but I'm gona take her fer a test drive around the world. Gotta make sure she can handle this gravity before we try pressin' on."

"Okay. Be back in an hour." he said before thinking about it. "Maybe I should come with you."

"Why? Ya don' trust me?"

The Captain trusted his mechanic but he honestly didn't want to stay idol on a world he didn't know.

"Captain, it might be best if you accompany me to the palace once more. It would be a sign of good faith for the King to see you there, and I am sure he has already prepared food for us."

"There's gona be food? No body said nothing about food." Scotty declared.

"It's alright." Uhura said coming up behind them. "I'll stay with the ship and give it the test drive. You boys cane go eat."

"Thank you Lieutenant." Scotty laughed.

Kirk nodded and made the arrangements with one of the men the King had lent them. The man agreed to accompany the young woman on a small tour and guide her back to the palace afterward, ensuring she wouldn't get lost or in any trouble being out on her own.

Uhura was more then happy not having to go back to the palace and see _her._ She had only met the Princess once and it was more then enough. She was rude, and Uhura didn't like the way she felt whenever she was around Spock. So this trip was a more then welcomed break.

Spock on the other hand, was quite excited to see what was going to happen. Unlike the others, he knew Furian customs and knew the King would make his daughter earn the chance to elave the planet. He found himself becoing anxious, excited that he was going to get to see Trya in all of her grace when she fought. Wait... he was excited?


	4. Foriegn Policies

**~Chapter4: Foreign Policies~**

Spock had been right. At the Princess' request, Thaus had presented the men with a banquet. Scotty and Sulu couldn't help but stuff themselves completely while Kirk and Spock simply ate their fill. Uhura had even made it back in time for the meal despite not eating much. It was obvious she wasn't very happy with it. Tryalah had asked her father before hand but he had refused to hear her until after they had eaten. The meal, for lack of a better term, was tense as far as they were concerned.

When the meal was finished, the group of strangers were led to a balcony over looking the throne room while Trya was down below, her father climbing to his seat.

"Father, I simply want the chance to go with them." Trya pleaded, kneeling before he father once he took his seat.

"And if something happens to you?"

"I am more then capable of handling myself." She snapped.

"Bite your tongue." He hissed back.

Her head immediately fell to the ground again.

"I'm sorry." She replied. "I just… You know I'm happier out there, not stuck on our world."

"Is this not enough for you? Do you not have every luxury, worthy of a princess?"

"It's not that Furia isn't a wonderful world, and I never wanted for anything as a child, but I simply enjoy seeing everything there is out there." She answered.

The king sighed, possibly knowing it would be pointless to argue with her. Finally, after caressing his chin thoughtfully, he waved his clawed hand.

"What's happening?" Kirk whispered to Spock who seemed to know a great deal about these peoples culture.

"In order for Princess Tryalah to leave and join us, King Thaus wants to be sure she is capable of protecting herself." He said simply.

"What the hell does that mean?"

Before Spock could answer, a large Furian man came into view. This man was a beast, large and broad, muscles bulging from every possible place. It appeared as though the man didn't even have a neck, his head simply resting atop a wide set of shoulders. When he came into full view, Kirk realized he was wearing some kind of ceremonial clothing. It was strange, but then again, just about everything he had seen lately was strange.

These people were more then capable of rivaling the most sophisticated technological planets there were, and yet, they prided themselves on staying relatively original to their roots. Being sure to keep and practice their primal customs.

"So, she has to fight him?" Kirk asked disbelievingly.

Spock simply nodded. The captain couldn't believe this young woman, smaller then most, had to fight someone nearly twice her size. This was ridiculous.

"How do they decide who wins?"

"Whoever gives up." He replied simply. "Or bleeds first."

He peered forward over their balcony at the events down below. The two Furians stood facing each other, across the circle, arms hanging limply at their sides. In the flash of an eye they both held weapons, a matched pair each, though the males were longer and wider. They bowed low before they began moving, circling each other. Kirk stared transfixed, suddenly happy that he hadn't found a way out of the day's festivities.

The pair eyed each other warily, circling, studying the movements of the other. Suddenly the male charged forward, blades flashing in the light of the setting sun. Spock winced in anticipation of the harsh blows landing but the woman got her blades up in time to block, never altering her step. He wondered why he had an emotional reaction at all. He knew their customs, he had even seen something like this as a child, so why the sudden outburst?

As he watched, he noticed Tryalah's face seemed unchanged after the violent lunge and noticed the males eyes widen. A small smile curved her lips, and she moved forward, blades held at an angle to her body, spinning, presenting her opponent with a different aspect of her body by the second, all encased in a whirring sheath of blades, leaving him with no opportunity to strike.

The male backpedaled, frantically trying to regain his footing as the whirring blades approached. Metal rang on metal as the blades met again and again. Kirk noted the speed with which the combatants moved the agility of their bodies with the added gravity of this planet. He wondered how fast they would be somewhere like Earth? His mouth hung open as he watched the fascinating sight before him.

With a violent swing, the large man managed to land a blow, shattering Tryalah's narrow sword. She eyed it with a raised eyebrow, the ornate hilt in her hand before tossing it to the side. Smiling wide, the man lunged for her once more. Without her weapon, Kirk thought she would be done for, unable to go with them into space.

He turned to his next in command, hoping his expression would give him some idea of her chances. And it was then he saw something that he never thought, in a million years, he would see gracing Spock's face, a smile. Tryalah was right; she had made him smile before. He couldn't help himself and nudged Uhura, motioning for her to look.

The young woman couldn't help but gasp as she stared at the Vulcan man's apparent grin. Why hadn't she been able to make him smile? How could the alien woman? He was supposed to be emotionless. So how was it possible the Furian could? Those were all questions Kirk wondered as well, well maybe not all of them.

The shock of that was almost more then he could take, but then his attention was soon turned to the action down below. When he looked, he was just in time to see Trya running up the length of the column near her.

He watched as her claws dug into the marble, splintering it as she ran up as far as was necessary before leaping from it and landing behind the large beast. It was then Kirk noticed another interesting feature of the Furian race, or at least her, a tail. Using it for balance and letting it sway dangerously behind her like a cat ready to pounce, was a black, furry tail.

They really were like the house cats of Earth, but larger, and more dangerous for having the thought capability of people.

Kirk continued to stare as she waited for him to turn before landing a kick on her opponents chin with deafening crunch. The large creature flipped once before landing on the ground with a loud thud. Trya waited, creeping around him, kneeling low to the ground, waiting for him to strike. When he didn't, she thought it safe to grab for his second weapon. As she gripped the hilt tightly, the male scrabbled frantically.

She displayed multiple back flips, sword in hand, until she was a safe distance away. The man stood up, dizzily trying to steady himself, feeling the end of the battle approaching. Spock heard his neighbor suck in breath and knew Kirk was astonished with the turn of events.

He grinned once more, thinking of how his human half swelled with pride and nearly missed the finale of the fighting, as the male finally conceded, dropping his remaining blade and pressing his forehead to the cold marbled floor. The blur of movement ceased and the Furian Princess stood, hair falling softly around her, looking for the entire world as though nothing had taken place.

"Not surprisingly, you have proven yourself once more." He father said with a wide smile as he descended the dais.

The gathering of nobles and normal Furians alike stood to show their admiration, and Spock was no different. Seeing the stoic man stand, the rest of the crew joined. He was their only measure to know what they should do, the only one that had spent any amount of time around this race.

Trya bowed once to the crowd to show her appreciation before hugging her father lovingly. She smiled wide, her fanged teeth shinning brightly in the well lit room.

"Congratulations." Spock said as he made his way down to the ground level, the others behind him.

"Dude, this place is so weird." Sulu replied to Scotty.

"Oh, ey." He replied with a cautious grin to the multiple cat-people.

"Thank you old friend." Trya smiled, hugging Spock as well. "It appears I will be permitted to come with you."

"Fantastic." Uhura muttered to herself.


	5. Old Friends on a New Ship

**~Chapter 5: Old Friends on a New Ship~**

Trya had grabbed anything she thought she would miss, or want on top of her decorative clothing. She was excited, there was no hiding it. For someone who had spent their life in one specific place, this was more then a rare opportunity. It was a little strange, trying to find her way around the ship, but she had managed to learn the layout quicly, not venturing too far all at once to lessen the chance of getting lost.

There was so much going on around her, that un[acking had been pushed far onto the back burner. There were so many new kinds of people everywhere, new friends to make, new things to see. Trya had always loved learning and she couldn't help but 'attract' the people around her. But then again, there were also the once that seemed to be scared of her. True, she was royalty, but in her mind that shouldn't have mattered. After a long day or running around like a kid at Christmas, she had decided that perhaps it was a good idea to finish putting her things away.

"Come in." Tryalah said as the door to her room chirped.

When she heard the familiar whoosh, she turned and smiled seeing her old friend Spock behind her.

"How are you finding your new accommodations?" he asked as she peered around the relatively small room.

She looked around herself, seeing the small end table with its lamp, her bed, a window and a pair of chairs nestled in the far corner. In all honesty, it was bigger then she thought it would be. It was quaint and she was simply happy to be there, so to her, this room was absolutely perfect.

"Different from the palace, but wonderful just the same." She smiled.

"I am glad to see you are adjusting well." He said in his attempt to make small talk.

She laughed slightly at him. She could see how awkward it was for him to do it, especially when it was something most Vulcan's didn't do. After all, they prided themselves at being able to detach from unnecessary emotions and small talk stemmed from nervousness with humans.

"Are you uncomfortable Spock?" she asked with a smirk.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." He replied, his eyes finally coming to meet hers, his arms still behind his back.

"You seem nervous, on edge." She laughed walking closer to him.

"Those are both unnecessary emotions that would be illogical to have. I have known you and your family for quite a while and am more then capable of being in the same room without an uncomfortable feeling." He replied calmly. "I am simply wondering if you are adjusting well to the Enterprise."

"I'm fine." She smiled walking over to him and placing her hand kindly on his shoulder.

His eyes traveled from her interesting orbs to the delicate hand resting on his shoulder. She had the clawed fingers, same as the rest of her people, but she always kept them well groomed and painted with a beautiful, shimmering colors. Right now, she had chosen a lovely deep blue. He wasn't as put off by them as the others seemed to be either; they were simply a trait associated with her kind. Most of the crew had seen the inch long, incredibly sharp nails as being threatening or dangerous. But he knew, deep down, that she didn't use them on people unless she deemed needed.

"I apologize." She said quickly removing her touch and turning back to her bags.

"Do you require assistance?" he asked walking closer to her, ignoring the contact.

"No thank you. I finally have time to finish unpacking the rest of my things."

He looked at her, eying her back and the way she stood. He couldn't tell if it was admiration or curiosity. It had been a good fifteen years since he had seen her last, and she hadn't aged a day. It wasn't their nature to age. The Furians, despite popular belief, did grow old, but they did it much slower then normal humans or most other beings.

But as he stood there, staring at her, his mind managed to wonder, filling with the past thoughts of the two of them. He remembered, before being able to control his human side that he would wake in the middle of the night after dreams of her with his sleeping pants uncomfortably tight. She was the first 'sexual' thought he had ever had. And now, she was here before him, as though none of that had happened. Although, part of him knew, even as a child that she could sense it in him.

All of the years he had been around the Furians delegates and Ambassadors, the times they had convened with the Vulcan Council and the time she had spent with him, he had learned how innate their senses really where. She had told him, on multiple occurrences, that they could hear heartbeats, smell changes in emotions. One time she had showed him someone was lying. She said that she could hear his heartbeat begin to race when he lied, smell the adrenaline coursing through their veins. So there was no doubting the fact that she was able to tell whenever he had an inappropriate thought about her.

As he thought about their past, he wondered about the future, the present. His mind wandered to what she could look like now, underneath everything. After years of Vulcan training, he was more then capable of controlling his emotions, so he was free to let his human side roam free, able to keep his heart rate normal and keep from giving the tell tale signs. He thought about her in her Princess garb, he thought about the line of her back as she leaned forward going through her clothing, and he found himself, for reasons unknown to him, thinking about her lips. It was an odd thing to think of, her lips, but he found himself imagining them. They were full, light pink, most likely soft and something he wouldn't mind touching.

With his mind elsewhere, Spock hadn't realized Trya staring at him. His mind still raced with other thoughts, his concentration finally broken only by the sudden sound of her laughter. His brown eyes shot to her smiling ones, his heart suddenly racing inside his chest despite the cool demeanor on his exterior.

"Is something humorous?" he asked calmly.

"You were staring." She replied calmly walking past him with her ornate clothing.

He turned and watched as she placed the skirts and pants that were folded in her hands and placed them inside the small dresser near the bathroom.

"I was simply observing." He answered, trying to seem less obvious.

"Observing is looking for only a few moments and not getting nervous when you're caught."

"I apologize if I made you uncomfortable. It has simply been a long time since I have seen you." He said in an attempt to explain himself. "It is a marvel to me that your species is nearly ageless."

"It's alright." She laughed. "I was admiring you as well."

"Pardon me?"

"You have become a rather attractive young Vulcan." She smiled. "I am quite impressed."

He stood his ground as she came closer to him and stopped mere inches from his body. She was so much smaller then him, petite, her head only reaching his shoulders. Spock looked down at her, grinning slyly to him. Instinctively, his hands came to rest comfortably on her hips and her hands in turn, came to land on his shoulders.

There it was again, the urge to stare at her lips. He wondered why he was thinking about something that had seemingly no reason to hold his attention. Tryalah looked at him and smiled once more, noticing his distraction. For some reason, it was humorous to her and she couldn't hold back a giggle.

At the sound, his brown, chocolate eyes gradually came to meet her brightly colored purple and blue. Her lips parted as her smiled widened, once again revealing her dangerous looking canine teeth.

As they stood there for a moment, Trya thought it was curious that he was staring at her. She had known him for a long while so he was used to her appearance. As she stared into his face, she realized how attractive he had become. He most likely had women throwing themselves at him, something that made her laugh inside. Then it dawned on her, Vulcans didn't respond well to things like that. Had he ever acted on anything like that before?

"Spock," she said kindly. "May I ask you a personal query?"

Spock instinctively looked down to the ground, his mind searching feverishly for any downside, or possible reason he may not want to answer. Finding none, he looked into her eyes once more, and nodded.

"Have you ever been with a woman?"

Never being faced with that question before, especially not so bluntly stated, he was unprepared for a reaction. His eyes widened briefly and quickly did his best to shield his uncomfortable emotions. She backed away slightly from him, letting her hands fall from his shoulders and his from her hips.

"Have I offended you?" she asked quietly.

"No." he replied, still unsure of how to monitor the emotions flowing underneath his stoic exterior.

"Your heart has begun to flutter and I sense you're uncomfortable."

"It was simply a question I was not expecting." He said calmly. "In what sense were you speaking?"

"You mean with my previous question?"

He nodded, his hands crossing behind his back once more.

"Sexually." She stated bluntly once more.

Spock had already assumed that was the nature of her question and was much more capable of controlling himself when she confirmed his suspicion.

"It is not logical to engage in sexual activity without a purpose. The only need is to produce a child and as I'm sure you are aware, I have no children." He replied.

Spock was grateful that he felt himself calming down more, able to think rationally once more. Frankly, it was the only way he felt comfortable, nestled snugly in his logic and reason.

"You are Uhura have never had a physical relationship?" she asked unbelievingly.

"No. As I stated before, it is unnecessary."

"Have you never felt the urge to act on deep rooted feelings towards the opposite sex?"

"I may be half human, but my Vulcan logic overrules anything that would be deemed avoidable. Lieutenant Uhura and my self have had a relationship, but it was not needed to exceed its set parameters."

"I see." She replied calmly, taking a seat in her chair.

Trya thought about it for a moment and reailzed she shouldn't have been surprised in the least about his answer. But then again, part of her wondered if this was true with all Vulcans or if it was simply something he had avoided because some foolish part of him thought it wasn't neccessary. Then she wondered why had she even asked the question. Perhaps she simply wanted to think that Spock had found someone he was happy with, or maybe she wanted to understand how he and Uhura had been together and she hadn't even seen him smile. Maybe she was simply jealous?

"May I ask why you thought that a necessary question?" he asked eying her.

"I was curious." She stated simply.

"Curiosity in another emotion we Vulcan's do not understand." He replied taking a seat in another small chair opposite her.

"Explain." she stated simply. She learned, long ago, that when speaking with a Vulcan, it is much easier to just try and put yourself into their mind frame.

"Curiosity can be another unneeded emotion human's exhibit repeatedly."

"Is that your logic?"

Spock looked down once more, contemplating the words in his head before looking into her eyes and nodding.

"There is a flaw in your logic." She said with a smile.

"Explain."

"If Vulcan's were never curious, your civilization would never have thrived and expanded as it had. Curiosity is what makes us want to improve something or invent something else all together, so to say Vulcan's deem curiosity as an unnecessary emotion is false." She smiled.

Spock looked away from her, mulling the words around in his head, conceiving all of the possible ways he might have been able to rebut her theory, but he couldn't. She was right and he knew it.

"It seems my logic was wrong."

"Not wrong." She smiled. "It simply was not thought out completely."

"I'm afraid you're wrong. Vulcan's think things through completely before they speak and to speak without thinking means we are wrong."

She smiled and nodded, knowing it was futile to argue with him.

"If you are agreeing that some emotions are deemed needed to act upon, then why have you ruled sexual activity as being dismissible?"

"Once again, the purpose of intercourse is to further a population, to have offspring. Using it as something purely recreational is illogical and irrational."

"You kiss Uhura, yes?" she asked, beginning to get frustrated that he was stubborn like his father.

"Yes, while we were together."

"You are no longer a couple?"

"We have decided that being in such close proximity while working would be unwise. It would interfere with our work and this is unacceptable."

"I see." She nodded as she spoke. "That still did not answer my question."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It was necessary to establish a personal and intimate bond with her." He said before shrugging slightly. "She seemed to enjoy it."

"I'm sure she did." Tryalah smiled. "So explain to me the logic of connecting with someone through a kiss, which serves no purpose other then that, as opposed to sharing the same connection through sexual contact?"

The Vulcan eyed her unblinking, his mind swirling with theories and other ways he could refute her when his communicator chirped.

"Spock." He said as he tapped it.

"Spock, I need you on the bridge." Kirk's voice said on the other end.

"Affirmative Captain." He replied as he stood. Before he turned to leave, Spock looked down at the smiling Princess. "Shall we continue this discussion another time?"

"That would be nice." She said with a kind nod before he left.


	6. Old Friends, New Situation

**~Chapter 6: Old Friends in a New Situation~**

Near a week had passed and Spock was unable find any spare time to speak with Tryalah again. He had to admit, he was giving their conversation more thought then he normally would.

He would see her, periodically, around the ship. She had managed to stay aboard thanks mostly impart to him. It was easier then Spock had originally calculated to convince Star Fleet to let her stay. He simply told them she was royalty and it would be a good idea to have her as a Furian Ambassador.

So because he had managed to convince them to let her become a permanent member of the Enterprise, he had ensured seeing her almost on a daily basis. Not to mention, she was now able to show up on the bridge when she felt necessary. It was part of her job description to have access to all areas of the ship. Besides, Kirk seemed to be fascinated by her and never objected to her being there. Although, it was an adjustment to see the young woman he had known most of his childhood suddenly in the halls and around every turn.

As he finished his tasks on the bridge, Spock had realized he had not seen Tryalah that day. She was generally speaking with most of the crew, or in the hollow deck training. Her species very much hated to get lax in their ways.

He had already checked the hollow deck and was on his way to her quarters. The elevator finally came to a halt on her floor and it took him less time the he thought to make it to her door. For some reason his throat went dry.

_This is odd…_ he thought to himself. He paused and looked at the screen. It noted she was inside, so all he had to do was touch it.

Inside, Trya had sat down on her bed and began reading a book when a familiar chirping brought her attention to the door. She looked up in time to see Spock walking inside.

"Hello." She said with a jovial smile.

"Hello." He replied calmly, taking a seat in the same chair he had occupied the previous visit.

"What can I do for you Spock?" she asked, placing her book on her night stand and turning on her bed to face him better.

"I have been giving our previous conversation some thought, and I have come to a conclusion." He declared it, almost happily.

Tryalah nodded, waiting to hear what he had to say. She was relatively sure he had found some logic to refute her earlier statement, especially given the ample amount of time he had to think it over thoroughly.

"I have come to the conclusion that you are right."

The answer surprised her from what he could tell. She wasn't as innate at holding her feelings in as he was and that made it much easier to notice her shock. Vulcans were, quite honestly, the only alien being able to do so, and with his experience with the Furians, he knew them to be almost completely instinctual and passionate people.

"You are surprised?"

"Well… yes frankly. Quite."

"Explain."

"You explain your conclusion first, then I'll share mine." She smiled.

Spock nodded his understanding before speaking.

"I have come to agree with your assessment that it was not logical for me to engage in one act of human bonding such as kissing, and not the other, albeit much more physical."

"And have you decided that you are now willing to have a sexual relationship with the next person you're involved with?"

"I have decided to refrain from all of it."

That answer was much more shocking then the previous. Trya eyed him quizzically, wondering if he was joking and then quickly realizing, Vulcan's don't joke.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I have decided that until I find a being that I plan on spending my life with as my father did with my mother, I will refrain from unnecessary physical action such as kissing, hugging, and anything else."

"That's irrational." She stated simply.

"I don't see how. Please clarify." He said placing his hands on his lap, interlacing his fingers.

"To cut your self off from having anything physical with another being is highly irrational and irresponsible."

"Again, I do not understand. Logic dictates that it is unneeded to go from one possible partner to another in order to find the perfect mate. It would be simpler to wait until I have found a relationship with a being who stimulates me intellectually, and then begin a physical relationship."

"Until you share that physical relationship with another being, you don't know them completely. It is irresponsible to think otherwise. Physical attraction is a mere fraction of what is looked for in the perfect mate true, but if you don't feel that when you touch them, kiss them, or make love to them, then it is futile to continue."

"I see." He said looking down once more. She knew he only did that when calculating and thinking hard. "Perhaps you and I should interact in this way."

While he had been thinking, Trya had gone to her wall and replicated herself a cup of juice. She had taken a drink and when he suggested the two of them together, she choked slightly.

"Are you alright?" he asked, eying her reaction.

"Fine." She said, coughing to clear her throat. "I am just fine. Did you just suggest that you and I…"

He nodded. She was the one that had suggested he have a physical relationship with another person. She was the one who said he would never truly know some one other wise. So why shouldn't she be the one to show him? Because she had never thought of him that way before. That was plenty of reason for her. She was friends of his family, seen him weekly at least since the time he was an infant, but she did have to admit to herself, he was an attractive young man...

"I am afraid you misunderstood me." She smiled.

"It is logical."

"I simply wanted you to open yourself up to another experience without letting your logic cloud your mind. I wasn't prepared to be the one you did it with." She looked at him, staring back at her with his calm exterior and suddenly felt his heartbeat drop and a distinct sense of disappointment. "You and I have changed a great deal and it would be irresponsible for us to leap into something along those lines with no relationship involved." She said, sensing that made him feel better, making sense generally did.

"You and I do have a friendship. That is a form of relationship."

"True, but... I wouldn't feel comfortable leaping into something like that with you."

Spock felt his insides fall briefly. He didn't understand her. If the two of them had a relationship of any kind, then why would it be completely out of the question for them to experience something like this?

"But if you would like me to, I could show you how." she finally resigned, not liking that she could feel his disappointment.

"Show me how?" he asked with a cocked eyebrow. "Would that not be the same?"

"No." she laughed uncomfortably. "If you wish for me to explain a few things, or show you what you can do, I would be happy to help. I know that Vulcan's feel things differently then other beings and it might be helpful to have the other point of view."

"I will give your proposal some thought. Thank you Princess Tryalah." He said as he stood.

"Spock, how many times must I tell you not to call me that?" she laughed.

"It is your proper title."

"Yes," she said, remembering that it had taken near a year to get him to simply call her Tryalah as a child. "But, you've known me longer then most. You are free to call me by my first name."

Instead of replying, he bowed slightly like he usually did and turned to leave. When he was gone, Trya let out an exaggerated breath of relief. Did she really just have that conversation? She only wanted him to know what it was like to really bond with another person, his human half gave him a better chance then most, but now she was offering lessons? She laid her head into her pillow and found herself praying he refused her offer.


	7. The Experiment

**~~Chapter 7: The Experiment~~**

That night, as she tried to sleep, Trya wondered what she would do if the man said yes. Sure she felt he was attractive and was willing to help him connect on a personal level with someone, but this was Spock... In her mind, it was only fair that someone would be able to do it, to experience pure happiness, but why her?

As she lay there, she couldn't help but turn and look at the clock in her wall. According to Enterprise time, it was nearly eleven o'clock at night. That was one thing she was having some trouble getting used to. On her world, she had a sun, a sunrise, and sunset. There was a way to tell what time it was regardless of having a clock, but out here in space, there was nothing. You would see suns and moons, but that was completely different. Here you had the lights on at all times, people working around the clock and the only way to know when it was time for bed was a clock.

She sighed, having trouble adjusting, but knowing it paled in comparison to the strange predicament she was in with Spock. Trya had known when he was a child, before he had emotional control, that he had thoughts about her. At one point, she had caught him staring at her, his heartbeat erratic and the distinct smell of pheromones surrounding him. The best she could do was smile and ignore it, making him feel a little better. She knew he mostly feared her telling his father that he wasn't controlling himself, but she never did. He was only twelve, hormones raging, so she knew it wasn't his fault.

Her people acted on their emotions, their instincts. If they wanted something, they took it. So, to have a friend like Spock who wasn't even aloud to let himself have something as glorifying as sex bothered her. But what the hell was she thinking? Offering to help him like this? There was no way this was going to end well...

There was nothing left for her to do. She wasn't in the mood to read anymore, and she had already taken a shower. Perhaps it was simply time to get ready for bed. She stood and made her way to the recessed closet. Pressing the small, nearly invisible button, she stepped back and let most of her clothing come flying out on a rod. She flipped through them and grabbed a long shirt that fell to her hips, just far enough to cover anything important, but let her tail move freely. Trya slipped it on, grabbed her brush and sat on her bed. As she brushed her hair she felt herself finally become tired.

_It is about time…_ she thought to herself.

She stood and tossed the brush onto a chair before moving to lock her door. Her head was heavy as she walked across the room, her hair thick and now wet, hanging almost to her waist definitely weighed a few pounds, but she ignored it. As her fingers stretched out to tap the buttons, the door chirped.

_Who the hell can that be at this hour?_ She thought to herself.

As she tried to think of whether or not to let the person in, the door swung open. She jumped back at the sudden movement in time to recognize that familiar black hair cut and face that followed when he looked up. Apparently, the young man was just as surprised as her to be in such close proximity.

"I scared you." He said simply.

"Of course you did." She said trying to steady her heart. "I wasn't expecting anyone this late."

"If you would prefer, I can leave." He said as he took a step back.

"No." she told him, moving to the side and offering the room to him. "Please, have a seat."

Trya eyed the back of the tall man's head as he sat in the same chair as before. Did he have something against sitting anywhere else?

"What can I do for you?" she asked kindly as she sat in her bed once more.

Spock looked up to face her and suddenly realized she was nearly nude. Her beautiful legs were crossed, her dainty feet pointing towards him. His eyes traveled up her bare skin and smiled inwardly at the black tail, lying on the bed, twitching behind her. She was leaning to the side slightly, her body weight on her right arm, and her left resting in her lap, her head tilted to the same side and her long, multi colored hair flowing beautifully, the blue matching her nails as it rested on the bed. He admired her multiple piercings in her pointed ears, slightly amused they looked like his and finally came to a halt at her bright violet and blue cat eyes.

"Are you alright?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

It was then he noticed that it had been a decent amount of time since he had said anything.

"I have come to another conclusion."

She nodded, urging him on to finish his sentence or at least his train of thought.

"I would like for you to show me how to connect better."

Her heart nearly skipped a beat. She didn't want to do that, not really. Anyone else would have been fine, but she had known him for so long. She was one of the few people who knew how he worked, and she didn't want anything more to happen. When you are telling people things like this or teaching them, it was easy to lose your self in the emotions.

"Meaning?" she finally asked.

"I would like to be shown how to connect better physically. I want you to show me what is appropriate and effective."

Her heart skipped another beat. This meant she was going to basically, in no specific terms, 'fool around' with him. This could be interesting though, it could be fun to see if she could get him to show some kind of emotion. The challenge that made her want to continue was whether or not she could elicit a reaction, get him to expose himself, or even make a noise. She was going to have to turn this into some kind of a game.

And then a wicked smile crossed her lips as she thought more and more about possibly breaking a Vulcan. True he was only half, but he was raised, taught and schooled in being a Vulcan. As far as she knew, the only emotion he had ever really displayed was anger.

"Is something amusing?" he asked.

It was then she realized she had been smiling. It quickly faded before she adjusted herself, suddenly realizing she was nearly naked and blushed.

"It seems you are now aware of you clothing selection."

"Yes." She said, trying her best to stretch her shirt a little further down her legs.

"It does not bother me." He said his face unchanging.

She looked at him cautiously, waiting to see if she could sense otherwise. She did, but it was faint. Perhaps it didn't bother him enough to detract from what they were going to do, but then again, that was the point.

"When would you like to begin?" she finally asked, clearing her throat slightly.

"If you don't mind, now."

"I suppose we could. Do you not have to wake up early?"

"I don't require much sleep." He stated flatly.

"Alright…" she sighed, looking down and trying to think of how this should even continue.

She sat on her bed, biting her bottom lip with her white fang sticking out slightly. She was thinking, trying to figure this out.

"Well, perhaps we should start with something simple." She said, Spock nodded and stood.

It was then she noticed he wasn't wearing a uniform. This was the first time; in she didn't know how long, that she hadn't seen him in some kind of uniform, either for school or work. Instead, he was merely wearing a pair of black slacks, matching shoes and a black shirt. The simplicity of it all was what drew her eye to it. It was attractive.

Slowly, she stood and made her way closer to him, grasping his hands loosely and placing them on her hips once more before looking into his eyes.

"We'll start with something simple. Touch."

"I understand." He stated eyes still trained on hers.

Her hand came to his face, and she lightly placed it on his cheek, her thumb caressing the soft skin. He eyed her; unsure if something was supposed to be happening. His eyebrow rose skeptically as watched her.

"Is this supposed to elicit a reaction? A feeling?"

"This is a simple touch that can mean a great deal to another person."

"I do not see how. It is nothing more then your thumb moving on my cheek."

"It is not so much what happens when it is done to you... It's a bit difficult to explain. This simple act, this simple touch, lets the other party know you care. It can be translated as caring, attraction, or even in an endearing sense to try and console someone." she said with a smile. "Has no one done this to you before?"

He thought about it and realized that not only had Uhura done this simple action to him, but he had seen others do it as well. He nodded to her and waited what she would do next.

"And this generally creates another feeling, something a bit more sensual."

He stood still, his hands still resting on her hips as her hand left his cheek and came to the back of his head. Delicately, careful to avoid scratching him, she pressed her fingertips into his hair and moved them up his neck. The action made Spock inadvertently tighten his grip on her hips as his head came forward slightly.

"Your finger tips can do quite a bit when you're trying to connect with another being."

"The nerve endings are more sensitive."

"Yes." She smiled, "And how does it feel on your end?"

He paused for a moment to think of the words to use before answering.

"It is a pleasant sensation." He nodded. "I would like to try for myself."

Trya's eyes widened...


	8. The Experiment Continues

**~I'm so happy to see so many people reading this and it's greatly appreciated. Comments please. Oh, by the way, if you're not really enjoying this or anything like that, trust me, the last two chapters are my favorite and when I get there, I'm sure you guys will too. Thanx~**

**~~Chapter 8: The Experiment Continues~~**

Her heartbeat quickened as she nodded to him. Her hand slowly left its place on his neck and let it rest lightly on his shoulder, awaiting his action. His hand released her hip and slid up her back, pressing his fingertips into her skin as she had with him, running up the length of her spine before coming around and cupping her cheek.

His thumb lightly caressed her cheek as she had done with him. It was interesting to him, the soft feeling of her skin, knowing she was a warrior and so much older then him, but he enjoyed it. As he moved his thumb, he couldn't keep his brown eyes from staying glued to hers before moving once more. It was then his turn to move to her hair. It was still damp from her shower, but he had no problem coming up and pressing into her skin again.

His fingertips moved, still pressing lightly, yet firmly, into her soft skin, gliding gently to the nap of her neck. He watched curiously as she moved under his touch. He watched further as her eyes closed for a moment, her head tilting to the side to give him better access to her skin.

Something inside him was happy that she seemed to be enjoying this. He hadn't ever really tried to make a woman react this way and was glad he excelled at it. Then again, he had an above average intelligence and exceeded all expectations when confronted with something new. In his mind, of course he was eliciting a positive reaction from her. Then he noticed a sound, emanating from deep within her throat.

"When you do this with another woman, she won't be purring." She laughed.

"Is that typical?" he asked, feeling the vibrations in her throat and hearing them as well.

"Sometimes. It means you're doing a good job." She replied before opening her eyes once more.

It was in that instant that Spock had noticed her eyes had shifted from the mixture of blue and purple to violet.

"Is that typical?' he asked, referring to the change.

"What?"

"Your eyes have become a lighter purple."

"Perhaps it's a good sign as well."

With her reassurance, Spock continued to explore. Something egged him on; to continue with his actions and see what other things would elicit another reaction. As his fingers entwined in her hair, he felt the need to close his fist, and pull. It wasn't violent, or angry, just a simple tug that snapped her head back slightly.

To his surprise, she let out a gasp mixed with a slight moan. He knew the sound that escaped her was not one of pain, but pleasure, something he had not experienced and he liked, very much. There was no holding back his smile. He was slightly intoxicated with the enjoyment of doing it well before remembering himself and letting the smile fade.

Looking down at her, he noticed her skin began to flush slightly, turning a light shade of pink. Her mouth was parted, but just barely, only the tips of her canine teeth showing.

"Was that satisfactory?" he finally asked with a quieted voice.

Trya couldn't speak. She had done what she feared and lost herself in the sensations. The best she could manage was a weak nod as she bit her bottom lip once more. Slowly, she had pried her heavy eyelids open once more and peered into his deep brown, kind eyes. As he looked down at her, Spock couldn't stop himself, it just happened.

His body, for once, made a decision without consulting his mind and immediately backed away from her with one sizable step. She didn't know what had prompted this sudden movement and eyed him.

"Something wrong Spock?" she asked cautiously.

"Your eyes have shifted color once more."

She eyed him skeptically for a moment before turning to face the mirror behind her left shoulder over her bed. Her own breath caught in her throat as her reflection stared back at her. Trya's eyes were no longer purple, nor were they blue. Her narrow pupils were now wide, making her eyes appear as though they had turned black. It was unnerving for her to see her usually light features now so dark. But why? She was enjoying everything he had been doing to her, so why had they become so dark and frightening? This had never happened before. Then she thought about it. She had never done anything like this with him, it must have been the way Spock was touching her that made her react like that.

"I'm sure it is fine." she said nervously before turning to face Spock once more. "It's just a reaction." Trya smiled weakly.

He felt reassured, slightly, and once more closed the gap between them. This time, his grip on her tightened, pulling her close and letting her press against his chest. As he stared at her once more, his right hand regained its previous location, entwined in her hair, and his other cradling her lower back.

Spock peered down at her still smiling to him, a weak, but happy smile. It was odd to him that these seemingly innocuous motions received such a warm and passionate response. Once again, he felt the urge to act.

He was puzzled as to why he was allowing his emotions to dictate his actions. Perhaps this would be one of the rare instances when the human half of his being would be able to be unleashed without fear of betraying his Vulcan roots. Whatever the case, he was enjoying it immensely and wondered what else he could do.

Having had such a positive reaction before, Spock clamped his hand into her hair once more and jerked lightly. Tryalah, once again as he had calculated, had let out another satisfied sound as the purring grew louder. He felt his lips pull back into a smile, a genuine smile, at seeing her head lean back in his grip, her neck exposed. If anything, it was amusing.

Trya stood there, tightly gripped by a man she had watched grow from an infant, and was enjoying it. It was strange to her, that she was reacting this way. Yes he was doing things to her that merited this response, but why was the retort so passionate? Why was she getting pleasure from this so completely?

As she thought about what she was doing, and whether or not this was a good idea to continue, she felt something clamp around her neck. It was soft, warm and slightly damp… What was it? Then it came to her, it was his mouth.

Spock had taken advantage of her exposed skin and decided to try kissing the soft flesh. He brought his mouth down and placed a delicate kiss, his mouth slightly parted.

It was a curious sensation. It wasn't much different from kissing a woman's mouth, there was nothing to kiss back but he was more capable of feeling the vibrations from her purring.

Before he parted, he could have sworn he felt her body shutter. He pulled back, only inches, and let his breath grace her skin. He looked at her, examining her response to his touch and noticed her breath was becoming labored and short.

Spock stared at her skin, watching as it became pinker, bordering on a shade of red. He smiled once more before leaning forward. When he kissed the soft flesh again, he knew he felt her quiver under his mouth.

This was very enjoyable and he knew he would be able to employ these techniques later in life. As he placed small kisses along her throat, something inside him made him think. She had certain reactions when he was gentle, but they seemed more intense when there was a hint of pain.

The thought was fleeting but he had managed to calculate the outcome before hand. Slowly, he parted his lips and leaned in once more. When he felt the heat from her skin, he lightly scrapped his bottom teeth along the delicate, soft tissue.

She whimpered, a very faint, but distinct whimper. He wondered momentarily if this was inadvertent or from pain. Testing his theory was easy, he simply did it again. Once more, the sound escaped her mouth. If this was indeed a _good_ reaction, then perhaps something more was needed.

Before she was able to react again, he bit down on her. She let out a much louder, pleasure filled moan. Immediately following, if not during the action, her hands gripped his shoulder tightly.

Spock had long since forgotten how strong she was and the grip she had on him would certainly snap his shoulder blades if she did not release. He felt himself make a noise and knew that no matter how quiet it was, she heard it. As though she was acknowledging him, her grip slid up and grasped his shirt instead.

He was grateful, and in his gratitude, returned to his task. As his mouth closed on her neck once more, making its way up to her pointed ears, he heard a very distinct sound. Fabric ripping.

The two ceased in their movements and search briefly for the source of the sound. When Spock stood up right and fixed his shirt, Rhyalla couldn't stop her mouth from dropping. On each shoulder, were four large holes. In her excitement, she had tensed too hard and ripped his shirt.

"I apologize Spock, it was an accident." She said moving closer to him.

"It is alright." He said examining the large gaps. "They are easily fixed."

"I don't know what came over me. I am so sorry."

"No need." He repeated. "But perhaps it's time I should leave."

"Perhaps." She replied, waving her hand to try and reduce the shades of color she was turning.

Spock turned and walked to the door, still examining the unusually large holes before turning to her and bowing slightly and leaving.

_Well, that went well..._she thought to herself as she plopped down on her bed.


	9. The Discussion and Regret

**~~Chapter 9: The Discussion and Regret ~~~**

Kirk made his way the cafeteria, nearly skipping as he did. He had been craving something sweet for some reason and since there wasn't much going on at the time, he wanted to satisfy it. The room was relatively empty, a few people scattered throughout, but one caught his eye. Sitting alone at a table, a book in hand, was Trya. Her felt his stomach flutter. This was the first time he would really be able to lay his moves on her without Spock or any of the others giving him skeptical glances. The Captain swallowed his courage and made his way over to her. Well, perhaps strutted would be a better term.

His mouth was open, ready to say something, when she spoke up first.

"Please, have a seat." she said, her back still to him.

"Huh?" was all he could manage.

"Please join me." she turned to face him with a smile. "I welcome the company."

It took a minute for the man to realize that she had offered him the seat, so he felt foolish when she started laughing. He smiled nervously and took the seat in front of her. Kirk tried for a moment to think of something to say, but yet again, she spoke first.

"I make you very nervous." she laughed.

"Nah..." he lied, his heartbeat still racing.

"Its alright." she smiled, taking a sip of her drink before setting it back down. "Most of the crew is nervous around me. I thinks it is because of these."

He smiled as she held up her hand, her beautifully, delicate hand. He admired the ornate jewelry that seemed to match her crown before he noticed her wave her fingers, showing it was her claws she had been speaking about.

"They're not that bad." he replied.

"I suppose not." she smiled relieved they didn't bother _everyone_. "I am glad you came here. There is something I want to ask you."

"What's that?" he asked excitedly.

"I would like to start going on your away missions."

Kirk was slightly taken aback by her words, but let a smile grace his face.

"That sounded like more of a statement then a question." he joked.

"I'm sorry. I would like to start going on away missions, if it is alright with you?"

"You see now," he said cockily. "That's better."

She smiled before taking a bite of a small piece of cake she had replicated. Kirk watched her for a moment, staring at her as she ate. The Captain wasn't sure if it was her that drew his attention or the wonderfully moist and decadent chocolate cake she was eating. Either one, it didn't take her long to realize she was being gawked at.

"Is there something the matter Captain Kirk?" she asked with a smile.

"Huh? No." he answered quickly. "And call me Jim."

Kirk tried his best to think of something to say, something clever and witty. But for some reason, nothing was coming immediately to mind. When his mouth opened once more to speak, some one came walking up.

"Good afternoon Spock." Trya said with a kind smile.

"Good afternoon Princess. I was wondering if I might have a word with you in private Captain?"

"Uh, yeah sure Spock." Kirk replied, standing to leave.

"Please, you don't have to go." Tryallah said, standing herself. "I was on my way out."

"You don't have to go yet." Kirk told her. "Besides, you haven't finished your cake."

"You can have it." she said kindly, grabbing her book and turning to leave. "Good day gentlemen."

The Captain smiled, admiring the view as she left and elated he was about to get some free cake. Well, all the food was free but, he didn't have to get up to retrieve it. It didn't take him long before he sat back in his chair and slid the small plate in front of him.

"So what do you need?" he asked, his mouth full of food, enjoying the orgy of flavor.

Spock hadn't spoken yet, still watching as Princess left before taking her seat. The young Vulcan's mind had gone back to the night he was in the room with her. He had been thinking about it a lot really. His mind was beginning to become clouded with the young woman. She had crept into his dreams, into any of his vacant thoughts. He didn't like it.

That was what brought him to the Captain. He enjoyed the company he shared with Trya, honestly he did, but she was becoming a distraction, something he hadn't calculated. It had been two weeks since she had given him 'lessons' in her room and since then their contact had been limited. Spock wasn't embarrassed to be around her and she didn't seem to be nervous around him either, but he had managed to stay busy. It was mainly precautionary, he thought, but part of him, the small rarely listened to human part, told him that it was because he wasn't sure how well he would be able to his his excitement around her. In the mean time, he couldn't stop thinking about her, despite their lack of contact. He would see her periodically in the halls and his mind would divert from his current train of thought to that night. When he had made the argument for her to come aboard, he hadn't thought this would happen, and for that, he was embarrassed.

"Captain, I would like to speak with you about the Princess." Spock finally said.

"What about her?" he asked, shoving another bite of cake into his mouth.

"I fear there is nothing for her to do on this ship, thus by making her presence unnecessary."

Kirk paused, mid bite of the final chunk of cake and stared at the Vulcan.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're the one who wanted her here in the first place right?"

Spock hesitated and looked away before returning his gaze to the Captain.

"I did. But it has come to my attention that she does not have a job like the rest of the crew. Therefore, she is not contributing to the advancement of The Federation." he said calmly. "She has no purpose aboard the Enterprise."

His voice was cold and he knew that to the Captain, he would appear callous, but this was the only thing he could think of in order to stop her from invading his head. He prided himself on being able to accomplish any task he was presented with, fulfilling his job title completely and she was beginning to inhibit that. For lack of a better term, she was in the way.

"That sounds a little mean." Kirk said finally.

"It is not mean, simply logical."

"Well, there's a problem with that."

Spock shot the Kirk a questioning glance, his eyebrow cocked.

"I do not understand."

"Well, before you came up here, me and the Princess were talking about her going on a few of the away missions." he said smugly.

"It may not be safe for her to leave the ship onto unexplored worlds."

"You saw the way she handled herself before. She'll be more then okay."

"But Captain..."

"She stays." Kirk reiterated.

Spock, being a stickler for rules and regulations, knew there was no reason to fight with the Captain after his order. The Commander stood, bowing slightly to the Captain before turning to leave.

That hadn't gone as well as he had hoped and now he was faced with the realization that he had just tried to rid himself of Trya. A strange feeling was milling around in his gut, guilt. He felt guilty for letting his personal concerns get in the way of what could be another well formed man was given a second chance and he was about to ruin it completely. Spock remembered what it felt like when she had left the first time and even that didn't seem to be enough from forcing her away. He knew how much the young woman enjoyed being in space, traveling to new worlds, and for his own pride he wanted to take it from her.

Spock had made it to the end of the hall before noticing someone standing in front of him. His eyes darted up to find a very angry Furian woman staring at him with her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"Princess, is something the matter?" he asked, his face still calm.

"Is that how you really feel?" she asked calmly, her dangerous eyes trained intently on him.

"I am afraid I do not understand."

"I heard your conversation with Jim."

Spock's insides sank. He had completely forgotten how sensitive Furian hearing was. He had no doubt she had heard the entire conversation through the door and from her spot on the other end of the hallway. They could hear a pin drop from a mile or more away over a crowded room if she wanted. It was amazing that they could pick out a single sound to concentrate on and ignore the others. This trait however, is what had been his downfall.

"Do you really feel that way about me?" she asked.

"I was simply looking out for your best interest." he said, trying to make her feel somewhat better.

"You think my presence here is useless. You think I am useless in return." she replied, her voice wavering with hurt.

"That was not my intention."

"Perhaps it is best that you and I avoid each other when possible."

With that, Trya turned and left. Spock felt his insides jerk again. This was definitely guilt. She was a friend of his, some one he cared about despite never showing it and now he had hurt her feelings.

His human side begged to make it better, but his Vulcan side refused. A war was being waged inside his head as she walked away. But in the end, like so many times before, the logically portion won out. She would eventually come around...

**~Aw... Let me know what you think. Please and thank you~**


	10. Truth or Dare

**~~Chapter 10: Truth or Dare...~~**

Trya sat in her room, stewing over the conversation she had with Spock nearly three hours ago. Despite the time frame, she was still enraged. How could he think that? How could he be so mean about something like this? Did she not mean anything to him? She had always thought they were, if at the very least, friends. Now he was treating her like belly button lint, something that was nothing more then a disposable annoyance.

As she threw her pillow, for the second time, at her wall, she felt herself grow a little calmer. The Hollow Deck had lost its fun and she was slightly afraid she would brake something, so innocently throwing something so soft against a wall was the safest thing she could think to do. It was either that or go after the source of her rage, and everyone knew that was a bad idea.

For the third time, she stood, walked to the far wall, and picked up the pillow at the base of it. On her return trip, ready for another round of pillow throwing, her door chirped. Her insides jumped. Her mind immediately shot to the possibility that _the Vulcan_ was on the other side. Before she could think of something to do, the door swayed open.

"Oh thank the Gods..." she muttered to herself before speaking louder. "What can I do for you Cap... Jim?"

Kirk watched as she made her way back to her bed and sat, waving her hand, showing him to a seat. He smiled to her and did as she asked. The young woman stared at the man, waiting for him to say something or at least calm himself. The sound of his breathing and sent of his nerves was overwhelming.

"Is something wrong?" she asked nervously.

It had only been a couple of hours since she had asked him about leaving the ship with them and after she had left, Spock had tried to convince the Captain otherwise. She had heard the Captain say she could stay, but his apprehension was telling her he may have rethought the proposal.

"You agree with Commander Spock..." she resigned, her face falling to the floor. "I can not say I am surprised. I will begin packing my things."

Kirk's eyes shot to her, wide with curiosity. As he watched her stand to gather her things, he couldn't help but laugh. The unusual sound caught her attention, her hair waving in the air as her head jerked to face him.

"Is something funny?"

"I didn't come to tell you you were leaving." he laughed.

"Then... why are you so nervous?" she asked, turning to face him completely.

Kirk stood and faced her, his hands resting on her shoulders to ensure their eye contact.

"I was just coming to talk to you. To see how you were doing."

She cocked her head to the side. Kirk sighed before releasing her and taking his seat once more.

"I was leaving the mess hall when I saw you and Spock have your little... _tiff_." he said, his fingers motioning 'air quotations' when he said the word. "I just wanted to come see how you were taking it."

Tyra smiled at his comment but thinking about her conversation with Spock again was immediately shifting her mood. The young woman still holding her pillow tight, so tightly, the pair soon heard ripping fabric. Kirk's eyes shot to her clenched fist, but all the Furian could do was roll her eyes, a low growl emanating from her throat. The Captain stared at the pillow in her hand as she held it up, her claws piercing strait through the fabric.

In her frustration, she tossed it angrily at her bed before plopping down once more. Poor Kirk was unsure of what had just happened and continued to stand, looking at the disheveled pillow.

"It happens often..." she sighed. "They can cut through near anything."

"Don't worry about it..." he replied with a false tone of calm. "I'm sure any one could do it."

Trya looked up at him and laughed. He was nervous, again, but he was trying to make her feel better, something she appreciated.

"So," she said, trying to spark another conversation. "What can I do for you?"

"Uh... I just wanted to know how you and Spock were doing?"

"Hmmm. Well, I had apparently overestimated our friendship." she replied cruly.

"Nah. He was just worried about you."

Trya eyed him skeptically.

"He knows my kind better then most. He knows there is no danger and yet he tried to convince you otherwise. The man simply wants me gone."

"Why is that?" he asked, noticing she shifted uncomfortably before changing the subject. "I mean, you seem alright to me."

Trya smiled but stared at him skeptically.

"None of this bothers you?" she asked, waving her hand around her body, pointing out she was more animal then _'human'_.

"Nah..." he said, cocking his head to the side, eyes running up and down the length of her body. "It seems in order to me."

The cocky smile on his face made her laugh heartily, something she hadn't done in a long time. He was relieved to hear her act so calmly to his childish charms. He knew it was ridiculous, the way he acted around women, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

The two of them talked for what seemed like hours, joking and laughing happily at stupid jokes, or the things Jim had told her he had done. Her favorite stories seemed to be how he had first met Spock and the day he decided to join Star Fleet. The Captain was elated that the Princess was so polite and kind at heart, something that he thought would be rare with royalty.

After a while, the young woman had asked if the Captain would like to play a game. To his disappointment, it wasn't the type of game he had been hoping for. Instead, it was a child's game on her planet, something that was surprisingly fun. It reminded him of a game he played as a kid. The young Furian held her hands out, palms up, while Kirk laid his hands gently on top of hers, palms down. The object was simply, the one on bottom had to slap the ones on top.

As the game commenced, Kirk quickly realized her reflexes were far better then his. Since the game was going to be over relatively quickly, from her skills alone, the two of them had decided to make it more interesting. Whomever was on the bottom, their objective was to obviously smack the hands of the one on top. However, if the one on the bottom missed, they had to pick a truth or dare. If the one on the bottom succeeded and made contact with the one on top, then the one on top must choose a truth or dare.

This concept both intrigued Kirk and frightened him. Again, she had much better reflexes then most, more then capable of besting him if she chose. But, there was always the option of lying if he chose truth.

The game had begun, and already, Kirk was faced with the task of choosing truth or dare. Being that he was more then capable of lying, he chose truth. He immediately wished he hadn't.

"Is there a particular reason you stare at me whenever possible?" she asked with a coy smile.

Kirk's throat went dry. He hadn't anticipated something like that to be the first question, but then again... maybe he should have.

"Uh..." he hesitated, but soon something came to mind. " I've never seen anything like you before. You're just interesting is all."

She narrowed her eyes, staring at him before a wicked smile crossed her lips. Kirk stared nervously at her, her white fangs gleaming in the light.

"You're lying." she stated.

"Huh?"

"You're lying." she giggled.

"No I'm not..."

"Yes. Yes you are. Did Spock not warn you about Furians?"

Kirk's mind shot to the conversation the two men had when it was first announced she was able to join them. He remembered the Vulcan saying something along the lines of Furians being able to sens emotional changes, something to do with their innate senses.

"Vaguely." he finally replied.

"I can tell when you are lying." she smiled once more. "You're better off being honest around my kind."

"Shit..." he whispered to himself.

"So, why do you stare?" she asked again, the same smile still plastered firmly to her fair features.

"Well... I..." he didn't want to say it out loud, not really at least.

"It is alright. You don't have to say it." she smiled. "Your turn."

Kirk looked at her for a moment before placing his hands under hers. In one swift movement, the Captain swung around and managed to make contact with the top of her hand. He couldn't help but become extremely excited about the small victory. He wasn't sure if it would happen again.

"Truth or dare?" he asked slyly.

"I suppose a dare would be the more interesting way to go." she smiled sweetly.

Kirk couldn't stop himself. The time he had spent staring at her and the fact that she already seemed to know he thought she was attractive was more then enough for the words to force themselves through his 'shut up' filter. Every human had it, especially the male portion of the species. It was a metaphorical filter in their brain that a thought would pass through and if it was okay to say, it would pass. If the thought was inappropriate somehow, then the 'shut up' filter would stop it and keep them from the embarrassment. This was not such an occasion.

"I dare you to let me kiss you." he instantly felt stupid for saying it and cursed himself for letting it slip. Her expression didn't help. "I am so sorry..."

She didn't speak, she wasn't sure she could.

"I'm so sorry." he repeated, standing to leave. "I'm gonna go."

As he made his way to a standing position, he was more then shocked to feel her hand clamp around his wrist and pull him down. Before he came to a complete sitting position, he felt something connect with his face. His eyes wide, Kirk found himself staring at Trya's closed eyes, her mouth touching his.

Tremors rolled down his back in waves at the sensation of this seemingly forbidden woman created in him. It took him a moment, but he resigned to the fact this was actually happening before she pulled away, her lips lightly detaching from his.

Most beings, human or not, were a monogamous race. It was simply part of their culture and had been ingrained in their society. Furians, on the other hand, were not. In fact, in their culture, complete monogamy was something almost unheard of. Unlike other cultures, Furians did not frown upon multiple partners. Felines, by nature, were promiscuous creatures and that trait was not spared in the development of the alien race. They did have life long partners, but it was not uncommon for one or both parties in some form of relationship to have multiple conquests. It was a primitive way to ensure the progression of their species, a way to never become extinct. When your race is nearly ageless, until death do you part is a daunting prospect and could endanger their species. That was unacceptable.

The Captain stared at her slightly flush cheeks, his own face emanating heat. And there the two sat, peering into the others eyes, neither speaking. He couldn't concentrate on what to say, too many things were running through his mind to pick only one. Trya on the other hand, was sensing everything he was feeling. The sent of adrenaline was coursing through his body was mixed with the smell of endorphins. His heart beat was sounding loudly in her ears, and she could even hear the blood coursing through it. It was deafening and intoxicating at the same time. Something her kind lived for.

"That was unexpected..." he finally muttered.

"How so?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "You asked me to do it."

"Well yeah but... what about you and Spock?"

"What about us?"

"You two spend so much time together i just thought..."

"He and I are no more then friends..." she sighed and looked to the ground for a moment. "Although I must admit, I am no longer certain we are that anymore."

Kirk smiled sweetly to her. The conversation he and the Commander had obviously bothered her.

"I think the problem is you cloud his mind, mess him up a little bit." he laughed.

"I highly doubt that." she smiled, knowing how Vulcan's thought. "I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable, it wasn't my intention."

"Nah." he laughed again, his hand inadvertently running through his hair. "I just wish I was more ready for it."

She smiled, part of her wanting to repeat her previous action. it had been far too long since she had experienced anything sexual with another person... Well, Spock had gotten her started, but that ended rather badly.

Still smiling, the young Furian leaned forward, placing her hand delicately under Kirk's chin to avoid scratching him, and pulled him close. The man felt the heat return to his face as her lips parted and connected with his once more. This time, he was better prepared.

The Captain's lips closed around hers and there was no accounting for the wondrous feeling he had running through him. His hand came to the back of her head and held her gently, cradling to him so he could better achieve connection. He let her pull back only far enough to take his bottom lip in her mouth. The young man was elated. He felt her tongue dart forward and lightly touch his lip. The small action was all it took.

Kirk felt things rise inside him that he didn't feel like controlling. The Captain grabbed her and pulled her down on top of him, his back hitting her bed lightly, her body falling gently onto him. He felt her giggle under his touch, a sign for him to continue.

Gently, his fingers entwined in her hair, still holding her to him as the kissing became more intense. Neither of them felt the need to stop, what was the point. Trya wanted this, and judging by the appendage that was now pressing against her stomach, so did he. The passion between them grew and Trya couldn't stop herself, the purring began.

Kirk was unprepared for the simple action. He felt himself pull away and stare into her partially open eyes, the purring continuing. Her mouth was parted, her breathing was shallow and slightly labored, her eye lids heavy and nothing was more attractive.

Every man has their criteria for a woman. Some like blonds, others brunettes, some preferred tall woman others short. But one thing every man would agree on, is that face. Whenever a man had a woman staring back at him with the look of desire in their face, it was the most attractive thing in the world. It meant they wanted _you_, they liked what _you_ were doing to them, and they wanted _you_ to continue with it.

But as he laid there with this woman on his chest, his hand moving the bulk of her hair out of the way, he couldn't help but think. He had noticed, despite the man trying to hide it, the way Spock looked at her. Spock Prime told him that the two were destined to be great friends, and he knwe this would put a damper on that. He was conflicted, something he didn't want at such a crucial time. Either continue and risk the wrath of a pissed off Vulcan, or continue and have this young woman in what may be the best sex he could ever want.

Sensing something was wrong, the expression on Trya's face changed. He felt her body tense before sitting up higher to better see the man beneath her. Before he could stop her, Trya sat up completely.

"Something is wrong."

"What... makes you say that?" he asked sitting up as well.

"I can sense it." she replied rolling her eyes. You'd think he'd get that by now... "I may not be a mind reader, but I am not stupid."

"I was just thinking about what we're doing."

"I am not going to force you." she sighed.

"Oh please, like you could make me do something I didn't want to." he teased.

"If you are uncomfortable, then there is nothing more for us to do."

"Yeah..." he sighed as he stood. "I'm sorry."

"No worries." she smiled as she stood.

The two walked to the door and she leaned in to hug him, much to his dismay. Kirk accepted it as all that would take place from now on and left, making his way back to his quarters to take care of the problem himself.

When the Captain was finally gone, Trya sighed her disappointment loudly before walking into the bathroom. It was time for her to take a cold shower. She was tired of getting excited and then something happening. This just wasn't fair and part of her wondered if the Gods were laughing at her.


	11. The Away Mission

**~Chapter 11: The Away Mission~**

**(Small transition. Honestly, I couldn't think of anything descent to write as a transition chapter. None of it would be worthy of posting and would basically just be a waste of everyone's time, so instead I'm going to give you a small summary. Spock and Tyrallah still haven't spoken about what he had said. She was trying to forget the what he had said, knowing it was only his way, but she had still refrained from extended conversation. Kirk and Trya hadn't attempted anything further but weren't able to keep from smiling at one another, remembering their own little secret. Which brings me to this chapter. It's starting out after they landed on unexplored planet. Hope you like it.)**

"Come out and face me!" she yelled, her voice bellowing across the open plains.

Kirk looked over to Spock as he cradled his faser. This trip to the surface world had turned into a complete disaster. They simply needed materials and refreshments, but somehow they had managed to piss off the native aliens.

They were an 'inferior' species, one that mainly lived as a feral group. They lived in tribes, doing nothing but hunting and fighting, destroying anything or anyone. It amazed the crew that they had even still remained and didn't simply go extinct from all of the civil wars.

These creatures had come out of nowhere as they replenished some of their supplies and began to throw their spear like weapons at them. It was nothing more then an annoyance, but apparently, they had been hunting the people that had been landing on their planet for years and had gathered a decent amount of guns. When the spears didn't work, the hunters had gone to get their high powered weaponry.

When the shooting began, Kirk, Spock, Tryallah and a poor ensign had gotten pinned down. The Cadet, though a brave man, didn't last long when he had moved out from behind their hiding spot. He was hit, directly in the chest, the blood mixing with the red in his shirt.

Tryallah however, had had enough and there was no controlling her anger any longer. She let out a loud roar as she stood, sending the pygmies scattering behind rocks and other hiding places. Spock had seen Furian anger before, but Kirk had no idea what was going on.

"She has to get cover." He told his commander.

"She will be unharmed." He replied, turning to peer over the rock face to see Trya searching the scenery for the hunters.

"Did you see what they did to that kid?" he asked shocked. "They'll kill her."

"Furians are healers." He stated flatly.

"So they can fix people whatever…"

Spock turned to him and gave him a look Kirk had received most of his life. The typical, '_Are you seriously that stupid?'_ look.

"What?"

"Furians are able to regenerate, to heal themselves."

"Really?" he asked peering over the top of the rock and seeing her bound off. "She's on the move. Cover her."

The two turned, their fasers set to stun, as they took aim at anything that would be moving. They watched as she ran around, trying to find someone but there was nothing. Slowly, she turned and shrugged to the others. As she walked back, a shot ripped through her shoulder.

Tryallah was no stranger to people thinking they could hurt her so she simply glanced down at the blood flowing from her shoulder, wiped it away, and turned to face the hunters. Kirk looked at Spock quizzically, unable to believe the wound had closed so quickly.

The sound of fighting brought him back to reality. The two tried to find an open shot to help but she was moving too fast. The aliens were slightly shorter then a normal human, and that, coupled with her extreme strength, made her more then capable of launching them away from her. Kirk watched, in awe, as she fought with power and grace, but then the shooting began once again.

They watched in horror as shots tore through her chest and her shoulders, blood spilling out from the wounds, staining the beautiful clothing from her home world, but she still pressed on. Seeing Furian anger was something Kirk had never experienced. It was pure, unbridled rage. She would grab an approaching 'victim' by the throat and toss him like a rag doll yards away. Her ferocious roars and yells echoed, chilling him to the bone. This normally graceful, dignified and well spoken Princess was unleashed on the poor bastards that thought they could take her down.

As Kirk watched, he couldn't help but notice out of the corner of his eye, that Spock had the same look of pride on his face as he had when they were on Furia, watching her fight the man. It was puzzling to him. Not only that, but Kirk was now frightened by Trya. She sent chills down his back at the ferocity she fought with, and… it turned him on.

_She could rip me in half if I pissed her off…_he thought to himself. _That is so hot…_ _But so wrong._

It took longer then they had thought, but finally, the hunters ran in fear from the cat-woman. The final straw for them came when the massive woman, in their standards, grabbed two of them and bashed their heads together before tossing them to the side. The small beings stared at her with fear in their eyes, it was intoxicating sent for her. They muttered to themselves in their native tongue before running off into the distance.

With her victory obvious, Trya turned to face her friends once more with a wide smile of satisfaction on her face. She sauntered over to them, Kirk still unable to believe she could fight like that and still slightly uncomfortable with the sheer amount of blood on her delicate clothing, but he smiled regardless.

"That was amazing." He said with a smile. "I don't think they'll mess with us anymore."

"Impressive." Spock replied.

"Thank you, both." She said before wincing slightly.

"Is something the matter?" Spock asked skeptically.

"I feel…" she muttered before placing her hand on her still bleeding wounds. "Something isn't right…"

"I thought you said they were healers?" Kirk whispered to Spock.

"We are." She said quietly. "I don't understand what's happening to me…"

They watched her as she examined the gaping wounds, her fingers disappearing into the deeps holes briefly. Her already light complexion faded to an even lighter shade of white, she was loosing too much blood. At the sight of herself like this, the pain from her injuries and the blood lose, she began to sway.

"I don't feel very…" before she could finish, she fainted, collapsing into Kirk's arms.

He stared down at the weak young woman in his arms, fear gripping him tightly and threatening to consume him.

"I thought you said she couldn't get hurt?" Kirk snapped at the stunned Vulcan.

"This… I…" for the first time, Spock had nothing to say.

"Shit…" Kirk muttered before tapping his communicator. "Scotty, we got Trya, she's hurt pretty bad. Have McCoy there ready with a stretcher. Beam us up."

Instantly, the familiar warm, fuzzy feeling closed in around them and in a second, they were back aboard the Enterprise. Bones, thankfully, was there waiting with the stretcher to place her on. Kirk lightly laid her on the cot, gently placing her head on the makeshift pillow before the others whooshed her away to the Med Bay.

"What happened?" McCoy asked as the passed through the Med Bay doors.

"She got shot. What the hell does it look like?" Kirk replied.

"Obviously. Why wasn't she armed?"

"Spock led me to believe Furians can't get hurt." He said, glaring at the still stunned Vulcan.

"They can't." he said once more. "This is highly improbable. I have witnessed her sustain greater damage and never become injured. This…"

"Makes no damn sense." Kirk replied.

Spock nodded in agreement, eyes still trained on the woman on the bed. Bones had gone to work quickly, scanning her to find out what could have possibly halted her healing process.

"There seems to be some kind of alloy or protein moving around her blood stream." McCoy finally said as the little machine in his hands beeped.

"What's the difference?" Kirk asked skeptically.

"Alloy can be extracted..." McCoy began, his attention primarily on his patient. "A protein combines with her blood. It's a bigger problem."

"So she's got an infection?"

"It seems that way. I have to draw some blood for tests first."

"You could ring out her clothes for blood." He snapped.

"Captain, you must calm yourself." Spock said finally.

"Doesn't this bother you?" he asked, turning his anger to the other man. "She's a friend of yours, someone you've known practically since birth, and she's laying her possibly dying. Don't you give a shit?"

"Feelings about this situation, or acting on them, will not aid Doctor McCoy in finding a cure. Therefore they are…"

"Let me guess…" Kirk replied sarcastically. "Illogical."

Spock nodded. Kirk threw his hands in the air to show his frustration. There was no way he could understand this man or his culture. How couldn't they feel? How could they stand there and watch someone they have known for so long die? Spock talked about being illogical, but to Kirk, his behavior was completely justified and Spock was the one who was out of place.

Spock watched the Captain's reaction to his words and stared at him curiously. Humans never made much sense to him. They expressed every feeling, every thought as though it would change the outcome of something they couldn't control. It made no sense that Captain Kirk aired his frustrations for the whole room to see when it in no way aided the young woman or the doctor helping her.

As the Commander and Captain stared at one another, trying to think of how it could be possible for one to act a certain way, they heard something that broke their concentration.

"Eh-hem."

Turning, the two men saw McCoy standing there, an eyebrow raised in frustration, trying to get their attention.

"If you two could take this else where, I have a job to do." He told them firmly.

"As you wish Doctor." Spock said before bowing once again and turning to leave.

Kirk grunted his disapproval and left behind the Vulcan, each turning and going in a separate direction.


	12. Spock's Memories

**~~Chapter 12: Spock's Memories~~**

Despite popular thoughts or beliefs, Vulcan's felt. They had feelings as much as any other species; they are simply able to control them. In the absence of acting on their emotions, people automatically assume they have none. Emotions, to a Vulcan, were something for themselves to experience. There was no logic in letting others know how you felt, letting them see how something was affecting you. Unless it was prudent to the situation, emotions were better left inside.

With that being the case, that Vulcans do feel, he found himself wondering about the young woman in the infirmary. He thought about the last thing he had said to her, or she had actually heard. She had been avoiding him, and rightfully so. He knew he had hurt her dearly by acting so callous about her being there. To her, he was sure it sounded as though he didn't care about her, didn't care that she had always been there, simply didn't care. But he did, he just didn't know how to show it.

For centuries, Vulcans and Furians had an ongoing relationship. Each benefited from the other, be it through culture, technology, or simply wishing to learn more from one another. Although they were very much opposites, Furians being passionate and unbridled, and Vulcans being subdued and restrained, they benefited from one another.

Because of this symbiotic relationship between the two worlds, Spock had grown up knowing about their culture. Long before he was born, Furia always had an Ambassador on his planet and vice versa. At a young age, he found himself enthralled with their nature. He could never quite rationalize it with himself, why he was so fascinated by them, but he was. They were in no way inferior like most of the beings he had met, they were cultured and refined, but rich with qualities he couldn't place.

When he was growing up, he had met Tryallah. She was a friend of his father, having known him since he himself was a child. When he was old enough for rational thought, for a Vulcan it was age four, he was introduced to the interesting young woman. He remembered always seeing her near his home, speaking with his mother and the other members of the council, but he had never spoken with her.

One day, after finishing his lessons, he had arrived at home to find the young woman speaking with his mother. He was taken aback by the situation, the reaction obvious on his face since he had only just begun to learn how to control them. From then on, for the next ten years almost, she would visit him at least once a week.

He felt himself attaching to her, growing accustomed to seeing her around. He felt himself almost _happy_ to arrive home from school in the off chance she would be there. Despite being a close friend of his family, she spent most of her time with Spock. He honestly wasn't sure why, but she would spend hours on end with him.

They would have intellectual discussions; she would help him with his school work. Well, it wasn't so much help, more as a review or quiz. There were few things that Spock looked forward to, and she was one of them.

He remembered what it was that first caught his attention when he was younger, her ears. She had delicate, pointed ears that were pierced multiple times, adorned with different jewels from her planet. He thought it so curious that she had similar ears to his, despite the fact they were much more sensitive. But as he grew older, and came closer to manhood, he noticed more. He remembered, noticing her eyes next, the interesting colors intermingling unlike anything he had ever seen. Then it was her smile, a combination of something so kind and dangerous at the same time was intriguing. Then her figure was the inevitable conclusion, after all, he was a young man. Human or no, young men could only avoid those specific feelings for so long.

She was the first person he had thought of in a sexual way. Vulcan women held none of his interests amazingly enough. Then again, perhaps it wasn't so strange. His father had obviously chosen outside his own kind so perhaps there was something in the back of his head telling him that there was no pressure on him to find a Vulcan wife.

There was just something about her; again he couldn't place it, which was unavoidably fascinating. More then a few times, he felt himself become jealous when another man from her world would touch her. It was far from inappropriate contact, but the simple pat on the shoulder, or hand shake, he did not approve.

As he plainly remembered the simpler, happier times, he remembered when she left. He had made his way home, excited on the inside, but stoic on the outside. He was a young man now and it would be inappropriate if he should show an emotion.

He walked through the door and found his mother sitting in a chair, seemingly waiting for him. He was confused and relayed the information to her. His mother, she was the most compassionate, wonderful woman he had ever known. She took his hand gently in her own and looked him in the eyes, a weak smile on her face.

"Spock darling, I have some bad news." She said kindly.

"Is something the matter mother?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Trya won't be coming back anytime soon."

She was blunt, something she had learned to be when in the presence of a Vulcan. There was no need to 'sugar coat' things with their kind as it was with humans. The young Spock eyed her, waiting if she would continue and trying his best to ignore the aching in the pit of his stomach.

He couldn't explain it, but he was sure his mother would classify this feeling as either regret, or hurt. He regretted not being kinder, or more open with the young Trya, but he was hurt that she apparently wouldn't be returning.

"Has something happened?" he asked, hoping she hadn't left because of him.

_No. _he thought. _It is highly unlikely I was the cause of her departure. If that were the case, I doubt she would have spent so much of her free time with me._

Despite the fact he was repeating those words in his head, something told him, he could be the reason. This was an unpleasant sensation, and he finally understood why Vulcans hid their emotions so much, they hurt.

"Yes honey, something happened." His mother began. "Her brother died three days ago. It seems as though a few extremists plotted to assassinate their father and when Chaucer intervened... there was an accident. Now, Trya is the only one in line for the throne and Thaus wants her to remain on Furia."

Spock nodded his understanding as he peered down at his mother's sad face.

"I was unaware her species could die." He replied.

"They can. Furians are almost indestructible, but they can still die, either old age, or some other gruesome techniques." she said cringing slightly at the thought of what they may have done to poor Trya's older brother. "I'm so sorry. I know how much you look forward to her visits."

Her hand moved to his cheek and caressed it lovingly. Once again, that simple touch Tryallah had told him about. Her motion was kind, but hardly had the effect she had hoped.

"How long will she be gone?"

"There's no telling. The funeral is tomorrow and with her being the only child left…" his mother sighed. "I don't know if she will ever be able to leave."

He stood still for a moment, thinking about what he was just told. His heart sank and despite the somber exterior, he was conflicted. He knew he would miss her and he knew that in less then three years, he would graduate from his schooling and either join the Vulcan Council with his father or join Star Fleet. He also knew that if she did not return before then, it would be irrational to assume he would ever see her again unless he made a deliberate trip to her planet. As he calculated, he came to the conclusion, they would never meet again.

"I assume that means Ambassador Hoan will be returning?" he finally asked.

"Aw sweetie, you don't have to hide how you feel." She said with a sweet smile.

"It is illogical to relay my thoughts at this time. They would not sway her decision nor would they solve the problem with the monarchy." He replied calmly.

His mother smiled to him once more, nodding her head and resigning the fact that she knew she couldn't sway him.

Spock and his family, along with the members of the council had decided to attend the event in order to show their respect for the funeral rights of their neighboring planet. It was odd to Spock, that so many seemed to show for the young man. He was more then certain there was no way for the prince to know all of those people, but they were here none the less.

At one point, he had a chance to see Tryallah. She stood next to her father the entire time, her face guarded by the familiar sheer veil she wore, her clothing black and deep purple. She was sad, that much he expected, but surprisingly enough, she managed not to cry. Spock had to admit to himself that he was more focused on her then the actual funeral, his thoughts surging with questions and his previous conversation with his mother.

These were the thoughts running through his head as he made his way to his room. His mind swirled with memories, _feelings_, and theories as to what may be the problem.

It was then he thought about what the captain had said about him. He felt for her, he was worried about her, but what was the point of displaying them?

And what he had said to her the last time they had spoken... Spock suddenly remembered what he had said to the Captain about Tyra. His heart felt heavy, weighing down his chest with a tremendous force as he thought about how she must have felt. The way she looked at him when he was first confronted with her, pure hurt and disappointment on her face. How could he have been so rude? why was this still plaguing him? He had apologized to her so all should have been forgotten.

Those were useless thoughts. He couldn't take it back, no matter what had been said. Despite wanting to, there was no way he could make her feel better now, or take back the words that had stung her so completely. He was out of line and it took something this extreme to happen for him to realize it.

So there he was, in his room, beginning to pace. He was restless and rightfully so. He hadn't felt this conflicted before. Why did he feel like this? It was because she was a close friend, of course, that was it. He found himself wishing he could have explained to her that he 'felt' badly about what he had said about her to the Captain. That he didn't like that she had been spending so much time with Kirk instead of him. Or the fact that she had said nearly nothing to him for the past two weeks.

His mind wandered back to the Med Bay and whether or not he could be of service, but then he remembered what Doctor McCoy had said. There was no need for him to be there, hanging over the others. So there he stayed, in his room, waiting to be summoned.


	13. Kirk's Thoughts

**~~Chapter 13: Kirk's Thoughts~~~**

Jim stormed off towards the bridge, his mind spinning about the arrogant, uncaring, selfish Vulcan. Well, perhaps selfish wasn't an appropriate word, but the others sure fit. He couldn't understand how the man could show no emotion like that. His face was just… blank.

It may be true that he only knew the young woman for a short period of time, but he already considered her a friend. She was a very polite, well spoken woman who seemed to attract the people around her. She even managed to politely reject his playful advances. Most women were rude or short with him, but not Trya. She was so eloquent and nice, it was odd. She didn't even slap him about the whole kiss thing. much to his surprise, she was more then willing. If he would have played his cards better, he may have had some form of _relations _with her. The thought made him smile briefly, but it quickly faded.

He remembered when he first saw her. His jaw had dropped, his mouth went dry, and his heartbeat had quickened. Spock had warned him not to stare, but he never said why. There were plenty of reasons not to stare at some one. Either it was a scar, or lazy eye, or no eye, but he had never been told she was so beautiful.

He had found himself more then happy when she agreed to Spock's proposal to come aboard the Enterprise. He managed to convince her that being an Ambassador, once again, on the ship for Furia was a good idea. She would meet more alien worlds then before and there would be no one else more suited for it. She smiled sweetly to him and told him she would consult her father.

Then came the fight with the unnaturally large warrior. He sat, leaning forward, in their booth like a child watching a play. He was enthralled with the visual stimulation from below. She was graceful, fast, agile and so strong. Her hair would flow effortlessly, slicing through the air as it followed her head. Her limbs turned and twisted as she did, never appearing to be out of her control. There were so many fascinating things about this species. But then he noticed Spock smiling.

It was then he wondered what kind of relationship the two of them had. What would make a man who never showed his emotion, smile? It wasn't even a real smile, more of a smirk, which made it more unnerving. And as he stared, trying to figure the man out, he heard the crashing of her sword.

Not completely surprising, she had won. He figured the Princess would be one of two things and he was glad it was the later. She would either be the very stereotypical, high and mighty, self serving bitch, for lack of a better term. Or, she would be the opposite completely, a good person, and someone worthy of being royalty.

But now that she was able to go on board, what was he going to do? Jim had tried his best to seem more important then he was. It was simply something humans did when they were around someone they wanted to impress, like a male peacock in mating season. His plumage however, quickly shriveled when Spock informed him that she was more then capable of sensing his emotions and the fact that he was acting ridiculous. It was a blow to the ego, but he persevered. He was just going to have to be himself… yeah, himself. Perhaps that was easier said then done.

It was on one such night of self realization, before he had the chance to sit with her in the mess hall, that he found himself wandering the halls near the bridge, simply thinking. He stared at the floor, more concentrated on the foot in front of the other concept of walking, unaware that anything was going on around him.

"Good evening Captain." A kind voice said, wrenching him from his thoughts.

Looking up, his heart began to pound at the sight of the source. It was her. Wait, of course it was her. He had been enjoying his solitude so of course the person that causes him to nearly panic showed up.

She smiled kindly. Her hair was tied back once more in the typical bun, but this time it was braided, letting the streaks of blue that seemed to be natural swirl through the black. Her eyes reflected the light beautifully, her skin glowing. Her clothing was something he had to get used to however.

Everyone on the ship wore similar uniforms. That was the point of them in the first place, solidarity. But she was not part of the typical crew. She was, more or less, a guest. So when he saw her walking around in her native clothing, like tonight, it was slightly jarring.

Tonight, she was wearing a shoulder-less shirt with the sleeves bowing out at her clawed fingertips, her midriff would have been showing if there wasn't a sheer fabric wrapped around her upper body, with a long skirt. Not to mention, she always wore her crown. It was simple, so it never bothered him, just the same thin metal work, intertwining with itself, resting along the crown of her head and a red ruby like stone set inside the section that dipped in the middle of her forehead.

"I still make you nervous." She laughed.

"Huh? No, you don't." he defended, almost too quickly.

"It's alright." She smiled once more. "My kind can be… a little jarring, to people who haven't heard about us before."

"It's not that." He answered quickly, his heart still pounding and sweat beginning to form in his palms.

"You're obviously nervous." She told him, her face still sweet but a little more serious. "Your heart is beating so quickly, it is actually hurting my ears."

"Really? You can hear that?"

She smiled and nodded.

"I'm sorry." He replied. "It's just, you're royalty. I don't want to offend you if I say anything stupid."

"I have spent many years around many different kind of beings and I highly doubt you would offend me. As long as you're honest and don't try to lie to me…" she said with a wicked smile as she eyed him. "Because I can smell fear."

When she spoke, she leaned in and let her teeth show. Fear gripped the man for a brief moment before he heard her laughing happily.

"I was playing with you." She laughed. "I'm not going to eat you."

Kirk looked at her, unsure of what to make of the whole situation.

"You are a mean little princess." He finally replied.

"Not mean." She smiled. "Humans just don't taste very good."

He gave her another uneasy look before she laughed.

"You need to lighten up Captain. It's just my way. I like teasing people. It seems to break the ice better."

"You and me both sister. You and me both." Almost instantly, Kirk felt stupid for having muttered those words.

"It's alright." She reassured again. "But how about we just go with Trya?"

"Deal." He smiled, glad she didn't want to rip his throat out for being so improper. Something told him, her father would have.

That night, was the first time the two of them had spoken alone for more then five minutes and from then on, they formed a friendship. They never really talked about her, but she seemed fascinated by him. All she ever wanted to hear about was what went on in the Academy, how he had become the captain, the fight with Nero. But when ever he would ask her about herself, she would simply answer the question giving as little detail as possible. He figured she just wasn't ready to talk about it and let it lie.

The day finally came when she wanted to begin going to the world's surfaces when they had Away Missions. It took some convincing on Spock and her part, but Jim finally conceded. The first few went off without a problem, but good luck always ends.

On the last trip, they were ambushed by pygmy people and pinned down. Jim wasn't scared for himself or for Spock but he was for Trya. She was a person of more importance and as far as he knew, it would be his ass if she got hurt. But, despite him trying to tell her to stop, she bounded out from behind their hiding spot.

He watched as she fought, roared loudly and decimated the natives. The most shocking part of this ordeal was her injuries. He had never, in all his training, in all his years, he had never seen anyone sustain that much damage and be able to walk around let alone fight. But there she was, the most amazing female anything he had ever met, and he had been scared he had to protect her.

But something was wrong. As she turned to him and Spock, smiling to them, she winced in pain. The look of surprise on her own face at the fact she was hurt sent a cold chill running down Jim's back. If she was worried about this, he should be too.

She came walking over to them, wavering slightly as she walked, fear on her face. She tried to explain but she had no words. He saw her loose too much blood and she was going to collapse. Sure enough, her knees buckled and as she dipped, Kirk was able to swing under her and grab her before Spock.

He was sure the Vulcan was giving him a disapproving look but it didn't matter right now. Adrenaline pumped through his system as he called the ship and they were beamed aboard. No sooner then they touched the floor or the ship; they had begun to placing her on the cot and rushing her off.

It didn't shock him completely that Spock was acting the way he was, but it was still a surprise. If this woman merited a smile, then she was more then worthy of worry. Damn Vulcans think they're so superior.

He glared at the commander, trying his best to show him how disappointed and irritated he was before being ushered out by the doctor. That's what brought him to where he was now. Wandering the halls, and trying to keep his mind occupied and off of the grim fate of his new friend. He couldn't help it. He would rather let his emotions dictate his actions then have none at all. Besides, he had more to worry about.

Spock didn't know, and Jim planned to keep it that way, that he and Trya had kissed. They shared an intimate moment and despite the relationship between the Fuian and Vulcan, Kirk knew the knowledge of that would make things so much worse. It didn't help it didn't happen too long ago. The sensations were still fresh in his mind and someimes, he felt as though he was betraying a friend by not telling Spock. But there were more pressing things to worry about now...


	14. Diagnosis

**~This one is really short but it was the only decent place for me to cut it off otherwise it was going to be really long. Thanks to those of you who have left comments.~**

**~~~Chapter 14: Diagnosis~~~**

Kirk and Spock came through the doors to the Med Bay after being summoned by McCoy. She was on the table, still bleeding but only slightly. It was odd to see someone that Spock had known to be so strong, lying on the hospital bed, tubes connecting her to a breathing machine and multiple other contraptions.

"The diagnosis?" Spock asked his eyes still on the young woman.

"Whatever she was shot with, is suppressing her healing. I had to put her in a medically induced coma to slow her heartbeat and hopefully keep the virus from spreading too quickly."

"So what's the problem? Do you know what's wrong?" Kirk asked quickly.

Bones nodded grimly. That small act made both men's hearts drop.

"She has some kind of infection from whatever it was she was shot with. Best I can come up with, is it was some form of biological ammunition that simply expired and went bad. But now there are too many infected cells. She won't be able to heal herself unless she had a transfusion. I can work on a vaccine, but by then there's no telling what kind of damage will be done."

"Then what do you suggest doctor?" Spock asked.

"We have to go back to Furia, and find someone with a similar blood type. It's the only thing I can think of."

There was no hesitating on Kirk's part. He quickly turned and pressed his communicator, connecting him immediately to the acting pilot and telling him to set a course to Furia. He was off to the side, still speaking to the man on the bridge when McCoy turned to Spock.

"Since it seems you've known her the longest, I was hoping you could give me some information about her."

Spock nodded.

"I will do my best." He replied.

"Good." Bones turned and grabbed a datapad from the far table and began to open a new folder for his patient. "Her full name."

"Princess Tryallah of Thaus."

"Birth date."

"Star date 2121."

Bones' face lifted from his work as he looked at the man. There was no way, no possible way.

"What?" he asked.

"Her birth year is star date 2121." He repeated.

"That would make her over a hundred years old." Jim said, finally making his way back.

"That is correct." Spock said calmly.

"But she looks younger then me." He said again.

"It is the answer to the question. I do not understand the conflict."

"How old is her dad?" Kirk asked.

"Is that prudent to this case?" Spock asked eying the captain.

"How about you just let me know cause I'm curious."

"I believe he was born sometime in the early 20th century. I can not be certain."

"Are these people immortal?" McCoy asked.

"No. They simple age much slower then humans or Vulcans." He said calmly. "Is there anything else doctor?"

"Huh? No I think that's fine for now. How long till we're in orbit?" he asked Jim.

"We're close, no more then a few worlds away so in warp we'll be there in a couple of hours."

"You might want to tell her father what's happening." Bones told him.

Jim's stomach sank. He did not want to be the one to tell the King of a ferocious race that his only child is dying.

"I will call the King if you do not mind Captain." He heard Spock say.

"I think, since you know the man better, that may be best." He said, trying to make it sound legitimate.

Spock nodded and turned to leave.


	15. The Plan

~**Another really really short one, but here you go.~**

**~~~Chapter 15: The Plan~~~**

It had taken a few moments longer then he thought but the line to the Furian Council had finally gone through. Spock had spoken with the High Chancellor and was directed immediately to King Thaus.

"Spock my son, how are you?" he said in his regular tone when addressing the Vulcan.

"I am quite well, though my call is not a happy one."

The king's face instantly fell. He knew what it was regarding his daughter, what else was there?

"What happened to my daughter?" The king asked, knowing there would be no need for a call otherwise.

"While on an Away Mission, we were ambushed by the natives. She went out to defend us and in the process, and was shot multiple times."

"Is that all?" he said with a sigh of relief. "She should be just fine. You know our kind."

"There was a complication."

"What?" he asked, his face falling again.

"Something entered her bloodstream and it is suppressing her ability to regenerate. The doctor told us she has to have a transfusion in order to purge it from her blood stream."

"Will this save her? Will this save my last child?"

"Doctor McCoy believes it is our best chance to help her. Does she have a compatible blood type?"

"Only her mother." He replied grimly.

Spock nodded knowing that was not the best option but the only one they had.

"How far out are you?"

"The Captain says no more then a few hours."

"Splendid. I will have the guards bring up my wife when you're in orbit. Does she have to be conscious?"

"I assume, if there is nothing in her bloodstream that will conflict with the Princess, that it will be unnecessary to rouse the Queen."

He noticed the King cringe at the mention of his wife still being the Queen, but he had no choice. She was and most likely would always remain, the Queen of Furia despite her previous actions leading to her incarceration.

The two men said their farewells before letting the screen fade to black.


	16. Aquiring the Cure

**~~Chapter 16: Acquiring the Cure~~**

"What'd he say?" Kirk asked as Spock came in through the doors of the Med Bay for the third time in as many hours.

"Doctor, would a medical sedative exacerbate her situation?" Spock asked, ignoring the Captain's query.

"Um…" he began, noticing the tension growing between the two. "It shouldn't. Why?"

"Did you hear me Commander Spock?" Kirk asked angrily.

"He is aware we are coming, yes." Spock stated to his Captain before addressing the doctor once more. "The donor is being held in a cell within the lower levels of the Palace. She has been maintained in a medically induced coma for the past century. Are you certain her medication would not interfere?"

"I would have to know which type is being used, but it should be fine." He replied. "Is the prisoner the only match?"

"The King, of course, wants Princess Tryallah's blood to remain as _pure_ as possible to maintain the royal bloodline. As the King is not a match for his daughter, the prisoner will be the only logical replacement."

"Who's the donor?" Kirk asked skeptically.

"No one of importance." Spock replied in the same monotone voice. "If there is nothing else, I will return to the bridge and await our arrival."

With that, the Vulcan bowed as usual and disappeared through the doors. Kirk glared at the back of the closed doors, grunting loudly with his frustration once more at the callus alien. McCoy ignored him as he usually did and went back to work monitoring his patient.

The crew entered the orbit of the planet a little over three hours. As promised, King Thaus was hailed once they had.

"Captain Kirk, I would say it's a pleasure to see you again but…"

"Under the circumstances, I understand your highness." Kirk said genuinely. "We are going to keep the Enterprise in orbit and take a shuttle down to your planet. From there we can gather the prisoner."

"I am not comfortable with the prisoner leaving the cell."

"Your highness, we are more then adequately supplied in everything needed to take care of Trya…" he said before quickly remembering himself. "To take care of the Princess. I meant no disrespect."

The king smiled as best he could, knowing Kirk was referring to calling his daughter by something other then her proper title.

"It is alright. She has her friends call her that." He said kindly. "If you insist that your facilities are best, and there is no time for us to waste arguing, then at least allow me two requests."

"Of course sir." Kirk nodded.

"I would prefer you remain in orbit until she is healthy once more and a handful of my men are there to stand watch over the prisoner."

Captain Kirk smiled and nodded. It seemed, no matter the age, or how long they would be alive, a father was still a father. He had no problem remaining in Furia's orbit until the young woman was healthy again, it was the least he could do after this whole thing started and if the prisoner was a dangerous as he assumed, the guards would be the best idea.

"Captain, I want you to understand something." He said in a serious tone that honestly intimidated the captain. "Under no circumstances is the prisoner to be awakened. She is unstable and violent. She will not hesitate to kill anyone near her."

"Understood." He said respectfully. "I, Commander Spock, and the head of our Medical Bay, Doctor McCoy will be in the shuttle."

"I await your arrival."

With that, the screen shifted back to the regular view of the planet they were about to fly to. Spock turned to the captain and waited for his orders. Within moments, Kirk had filled the rest of the bridge in on who was the next in command; although he knew they would be fine, and what was happening before motioning to Spock. The man nodded and the two headed to the Med Bay once more.

They walked into the lift and pressed the button to the appropriate floor. Kirk wanted to say something, wanted to ask Spock about the young woman that was dying in the other room, bleeding to death on the table that he supposedly cared about. Sensing this, Spock turned to the man.

"Is something the matter Captain?"

"Now that you ask, yes." He replied. "Why aren't you worried about Trya? Don't you even care?"

"You misunderstand the relationship between the Princess and my self."

"Relationship?"

"I believe that is what you would call what she and I have."

"Are you two together?"

"In what sense?"

It was amazing that Vulcans were so smart and yet so stupid.

"Are you referring to a sexual relationship?" Spock finally asked.

Kirk was taken aback, but that was what he was asking.

"No. She and I have had intimate contact but never experienced coitus with one another."

This had to be, by far, the strangest conversation he had ever had with another man. Most people, the ones who expressed feelings, would have said something along the lines of _yeah we've had sex,_ or _we've only fooled around,_ anything that wasn't so 'proper'. He couldn't place it, but just the way he was phrasing it made Jim uncomfortable. It was creepy.

"So… huh?" Kirk asked unsure of how to proceed with the conversation. What had he asked? Oh yeah. "Then why aren't you worried about her? What if Bones can't fix her?"

"Fixing implies she is broken. The Princess is simply ill and I have faith in Doctor McCoy's abilities in healing."

"So, that's a _no _on the worrying?" he asked, still slightly confused.

"Whether or not I am worried or concerned for her safety and health is of no relevance to anyone other then myself."

The lift came to a halt on their floor and as Spock stepped out, Jim simply stared at him. He was completely baffled by this man and there was no end to that in sight.

As they walked through the doors, McCoy already had everything set up and was changing her bandages. There was blood everywhere and what little color she had remaining was long since gone. Kirk and Spock made their way to the side of her bed and peered down at her on the table.

Trya's face was now sunken in, deep bags around her eyes. Everything that made her beautiful, her glow, her life, was gone. There was nothing but a shell, still managing to bleed efficiently, laying on the table.

"How does she have anything left?" Jim asked referring to the fourth set of new bandages.

"Her body is stubborn, trying it's hardest to fight off the infection but it can't." he said grimly. "If I don't get the blood soon, she won't survive."

This was the first time that those words had been spoken, the first time there was the realization that she would and could die. Spock immediately looked up into the doctor's face as he spoke the words. If he hadn't known any better, Kirk was certain he saw fear in the man's face.

"Are you certain?" Spock asked Bones.

"I can't seem to slow the bleeding. The normal devices aren't working on her, her body rejects the blood I have stored, and the virus is slowly spreading to every major organ in her body. If it's as destructive as I think it is, it will eventually destroy them beyond repair."

"But… she can not die. I have witnessed her leap from a building and walk away. She has been stabbed and burned beyond the point of survival and never been injured in any way." Spock replied, this time, his voice fraught with worry.

"I'm sorry." McCoy told him. "I don't know what else I can do. My best shot is the blood transfusion and even then I'll have to stop her heart."

Spock's eyes shot open in shock. His palms had begun to moisten, he was showing his fear.

"Come on." Kirk finally said. "If we're going to help her, we have to go now."

"Agreed." Spock said, shaking his head back to reality.

Moving quickly, they left the room and finally climbed into shuttle. Kirk immediately took the reigns and departed from the dock while Spock sat in the back, staring at the floor with McCoy staring at him.

"Are you alright?" he finally asked the Vulcan male.

Slowly, Spock looked into the man's face. It was hard to read a generally expressionless face, but one thing was clear. Spock was scared.

"Are you certain, that once you have what you need, she will be able to regenerate and heal the damage already done?" he asked somberly.

"I can't be completely positive." McCoy sighed. "If her regenerative abilities are high, there is a distinct possibility she will pull through without any harm."

Spock could sense hesitation in his words. His eyes narrowed slightly as he examined the man in front of him.

"You are not telling me something." He replied finally. "What else is there?"

"It's just… In order for me to be positively sure the infection won't return, I'll have to siphon all of the blood from her body."

"That is unacceptable." He said without thinking.

Something about the phrase, _siphon all the blood from her body_ made him incredibly uncomfortable.

"Commander, I have to make sure all of the contaminated blood is gone otherwise there's chance for it to spread again. If the blood going in is clean, then there's a chance she will pull through."

He liked the plan a bit better, knowing that what the doctor was telling him was the only logical thing he could do, but there was something else.

"Continue…" he told the slightly nervous man.

"There are a few calculations that I haven't been able to solve."

"Meaning?"

"I'm not sure what might happen if the entire blood system is replaced with another. I don't know how much of it will affect her."

"Affect her negatively?"

"Affect her at all. I have never worked with Furian DNA and if it's what I think it is, she might adapt to whatever I put in her."

"That is logical."

"There's the problem. I don't know if it will alter her traits or personality."

"Is that possible?" Spock asked curiously.

McCoy could do nothing more then shrug. He honestly had no idea. There was a distinct possibility, that if she does adapt like he assumed, she could take on the traits of whomever the donor was. After all, he was essentially placing another person's DNA into her body. Blood was what made the body work. It carried oxygen to the major organs, it was the one thing that was absolutely necessary for the body to survive. It held all of the genetic traits of the individual, all of their information on what makes them who they were. The only thing Bones could hope for, was that if she did take on the characteristics of her donor, it would be temporary.

That thought frightened Spock more then his friend's possible demise. There were reasons the Queen was incarcerated. She was a dangerous person and the possibility of that being transferred to her daughter, would make the King fear history would repeat itself.

As Spock thought it over, he felt them descend into the bay. The solemn man quickly stood and made his way to the back of the ship, waiting to land and waiting to be released so he could get the Queen on the Enterprise as quickly as possible.

When the doors began to open and he was joined by Kirk and McCoy, he found they were being greeted by a dozen armed soldiers and a being strapped to a stretcher.

"I would like to speak with King Thaus." Spock declared as McCoy ushered their new cargo onto the ship.

No sooner then he said the words, the large man, now looking despondent and scared, came walking into view. He placed his hand on the stoic man's shoulder.

"Do you think she is in good hands?" Thaus asked.

"I know that Doctor McCoy is more then capable." He said before pausing. "There is something that I feel you should be aware of."

The king eyed the young man skeptically, his clawed hand still on Spock's shoulder.

"Doctor McCoy has informed me that there is a chance there may be some… transference, between the two subjects." He paused. "There is a chance the Princess may aquire some of the Queen's traits after the transfusion."

The King sighed, his heart heavy with everything he was being faced with only in the last few hours. He had lost his wife almost a century ago, a prisoner of her own mind, his son died defending him and now his daughter was at risk. All the Furians had, were family. When you watch your friends and acquaintances over the years die of old age, time passing as though it forgot about you, all that's left, is your family.

"Do what you can for my daughter and we will cross that bridge when we come to it." He said. "Take care of her Spock. She always cared for you."

With that, he bowed to the King and climbed back onto the ship. Within seconds, the troops, body and crew of the Enterprise had headed back up. Spock stared down at the woman strapped to the stretcher. She was strikingly similar to her daughter. They had the same colored hair, the same face, the same lips, it was highly unnerving. Spock had heard stories about what had happened to her, why she was imprisoned, and if the others had, they would never have allowed her on board.

Finally, they made it to the ship and it took almost no time for the soldiers to mobilize around the Queen. They filed out in two separate lines. Two pairs of armed guards left the ship first followed by four guards carrying the stretcher and the remaining four, in sets of two, behind them.

"They really aren't messing around are they?" Kirk asked as he, Spock and McCoy followed after them.

"You would not either." Spock muttered.

The remaining two men exchanged questioning looks before following the alien mass to the Medical Bay.


	17. The Operation

**~~Chapter 17: The Operation~~**

The guards lined the wall, out of the way, but still peering at what he was doing. It was a higher stress level then Bones had felt in a while, but he knew what he had to do.

Spock and Jim watched from the safety of a twenty foot distance. It was somewhere pass midnight by this time, more then eight hours after the original incident. Kirk was squeamish when it came to watching McCoy work on her, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Kirk didn't care about blood, you see it all the time, but what was being done… He watched as the Doc began to inject something into Trya's arm, most likely something to temporarily stop her heart. After the syringe was empty, he discarded it and pressed a small button. The machine it was attached to began to chirp and siphon the red, life giving liquid from her body.

He could have sworn he saw her body almost deflate as the blood flowed gently from her. It took less time then he thought, only about two minutes, if that, for it to sputter to a finish. The donor, already hooked up before this had begun, was then attached to the machine and another button was pressed.

Slowly, but surely, the red liquid went from one patient to another. Now, there was nothing to do, but wait. The heart beat came back first, surprisingly enough within a few moments of the blood being pumped into her system, which was more then a relief.

"I will contact the King and let him know there seem to be no problems for the moment." Spock said before turning to leave.

As he took a step, he felt Kirk's hand clamp down on his arm. Immediately, his eyes turned to the hand before the face of its owner.

"Let me do that." He said calmly. "You stay here with her."

"The King and I have known each other far longer. He would rather hear it from me."

"I said stay here." Kirk said sternly, eying the man. "Don't force me to make that an order."

Noticing what he was trying to do, Spock nodded.

"As you wish Captain." He replied before returning his attention to the women.

Kirk nodded and left the room. Spock remained, watching the tedious, unknown procedure being preformed.

"Doctor McCoy," he said after twenty or so minutes of silence. The Doc saw him and walked over. "How long will it take before we notice a change?"

"There are about seven pints of blood in a normal body..."

"I am well aware."

"Well, that will take sometime but the good thing is, the other patient doesn't have to take breaks, we can simply pump until the Princess' body is full again."

Spock nodded, but he was impatient.

"Give it another hour or so." He told the man once more before leaving.

So there Spock stood, his back against the wall despite the fact he never slouched, alone in the room minus the guards and staring at Tryallah.

There was no accounting for time as he watched her motionless body. The more time he thought had passed, the less it really was. Five minutes lasted hours, and for once he had no idea how he was going to handle this.

McCoy leaned over the young woman's body, a light shinning in her eyes as he pried the lids open. It had been a day and a half since the transfusion and as promised, they had remained in Furia's orbit, but against the King's wishes, the prisoner remained on the ship. Bones wanted to keep her there in case something suddenly shifted and they needed more blood. He could tell the King was uncomfortable with it, but it was the most logical thing to do. McCoy had finally run the Commander and Captain off last night giving him time, for the moment to check her progress. She was responsive but that was as much as he knew. Slowly, he removed the transfusion tubes from the young women and placed the equipment to the side. Now, he had to extract blood from her to see how much of the bacteria remained.

His eyes were glued to the screen as the analysis came up; unaware someone came up behind him. Suddenly feeling that looming feeling, he spun around and saw Spock behind him.

"I apologize. Did I startle you?" he asked kindly.

"Well hell yeah you did." Bones replied with a heavy sigh. "What can I do for you?"

"I have come to see her progress once again."

"Well, it seems the bacteria are being fought off, but it's a slow process. She's still weak and needs a lot of rest." He replied.

"When will she be able to be awakened?"

"Now I suppose, but she can't experience any extraneous activity. She has got to rest."

"Understood." He said calmly before noticing the woman on the hospital bed next to Tryallah. "Perhaps we shall have the donor removed first."

"I don't see why that'd matter. Something wrong with her being here?"

"She is the Princesses mother and the two have not gotten along in the past. It may not be the best of ideas for her to be in the room. This is simply my opinion."

McCoy stared at the man. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to absorb this new information. As far as he had known, the young woman that was giving the blood was a prisoner. Now, he was being told that not only was it in fact a prisoner, but it was the Queen of their planet and Trya's mother.

"Do you agree?" he asked.

"Huh? Yeah, you know them better then me." McCoy finally replied.

As the soldiers went to gather up their cargo, a quick beeping sound could be heard. It started faint, but began to grow, louder and louder. The doctor turned to see the source of the sound was Trya's heart monitor. It was erratic, beating faster then it rightfully should.

McCoy ran to her side and frantically began rifling through his medicine bag for a sedative. The medication she was on now wasn't working anymore or it was working against her. He had to slow her heart or she could have a heart attack.

Spock rushed to her side and stared down at her. Suddenly, she began to move, almost as though she was having a small seizure, all the while McCoy was searching his kit.

"What is the matter?" Spock asked.

"I don't know."

The soldiers were useless, simply standing in the distance while the ordeal took place. Spock didn't know what to do; there was nothing he could do. He wasn't a doctor or a healer, all he could do was watch.

As quickly as it had begun, the movement stopped and the room went silent. McCoy moved to her side and placed his hand on her head. There was no fever, nothing to indicate a negative reaction so perhaps it was simply a random happen stance. Besides, her inside was more or less drained completely and then filled back up.

McCoy turned to walk away and without an audience, Spock felt more comfortable showing his feelings. Slowly, his hand came out and lightly touched her arm. She was warm, something that he appreciated. He felt his insides smile as he stared down at her.

He felt himself lean closer, he wasn't quite sure why, but he leaned in none the less. The closer he got, the more his mind was made up. He was going to kiss her. That was something he knew some friends did to one another, on the cheek, and he felt it was appropriate. When he was less then a foot from her face, she went ridged and suddenly shot up.

He stumbled back a few steps as she sat on the table. Her clothes were still bloodied, her skin still pale from before and her eyes…. Oh god her eyes. The beautiful medley that played in her eyes was now a muddy, paled version. Honestly, she looked dead.

Slowly, her hands came to her body as the others crept up to her, her delicate fingers began to remove the instruments. The very tips of her claws clamped down on the tubes, gently tugging them. She pulled the IV's from her arms, the electric pads that monitored her heart from her upper chest, the breathing tube nestled deep within her chest and the tube running into the side of her neck with the sedative. The breathing tube was by far the most unnerving thing Spock and Dr. McCoy had ever seen. It was a thick, plastic tube that was placed deep into her throat and the young woman pulled it out as though it was nothing. As the final tube was removed however, Spock was delighted to see it close almost instantly.

They watched, still amazed that she had woken up through the medication in the first place, as she swung her legs over the side of the table and stood. Gradually, she stood, wavering for a moment before gathering her footing.

"Princess…" Spock muttered. "You should sit down."

The young woman didn't reply only turned her head to the woman on the slab, motionless and sleeping. Trya walked closer to her mother, her hand outstretched. Spock knew something bad was about to happen.

"Tryallah." He said louder, near a shout.

When her hand had been inches from her mother's face, Trya heard something through the darkness clouding her mind. The fog began to clear, the air lifting. What was that sound? Her name. Someone had said her name. But who?

Brushing it off and ignoring it completely, Trya let the fog devour her once more, her hand inching towards her mother. Then it came again, the voice. This time, something was different, something was touching her. Two devises were clamped tightly on her biceps, nearly shaking her. There it was again, her name. The mist, once more, began to clear and she saw something in the distance, eyes. Brown, chocolate colored, kind eyes stared back at her through the fog. Spock.

The air flooded into her lungs as she took in her deep breath, a loud gasp filling the room. Her eyes could see clearly, the color returning to her skin, the purples and blues to her eyes.

When she was able to focus, and there he was. His eyes smiled back to her through the dark, through the fog, and his voice brought her back.

"You never called me Trya before." She said with a smile.

"It seemed prudent." He replied.

That was the last thing she heard before collapsing once more, this time into his arms, not Kirk's.


	18. The Voices

**~~Chapter 18: The Voices~~**

Her head ached horribly as she woke. Her eyelids felt as though they were being held shut with cement blocks, but she finally managed to pry them open. The infirmary, of course.

The last thing she remembered was seeing Spock looking at her and feeling his worry, his fear. She heard his voice speaking inside her head although his mouth wasn't moving. How was that possible? Then she remembered, her mother.

It was cloudy, hard to see, but she could have sworn she saw her mother lying next to her. But her mother was dead, wasn't she?

"How are you feeling?"

The voice was surprising and she couldn't help but jump a little. When she did, she heard a slight laugh. When she turned, she saw Spock coming closer and realized there was no way she had really heard laughter.

"Spock?" she smiled. "It is so nice to see you."

"Likewise. Are you feeling better?"

"I feel as though someone has smashed my head with a mallet." She groaned as she sat up.

_Just sit still and rest. Stubborn species.  
_

"What?" she asked him, her hand on her head to steady the headache.

"I said nothing." He said with a quizzical look.

"Yes you did. You told me to sit and rest. You called me stubborn."

_How could she have heard that? I did not say it out loud did I?_

"Yes you did…" she answered before noticing his mouth wasn't moving. "What's happening to me?"

"I am sure it is just a side effect from the medication." He replied calmly.

_I should have known this was going to happen… I never should have let them use the Queen._

"What?!" she exclaimed loudly.

The loud noise startled the Vulcan to the point of backing up. He stared at her, eyes wide, while she looked back. He could see her anger and fear through her eyes. Why couldn't he have tried to find someone else?

"You used mother?" she asked as she stepped closer to him.

"I'm unsure of what you mean."

"Don't lie Spock."

He sighed and looked away briefly.

"We had no choice. She was the only available blood type."

"She's alive?" she asked, her eyes beginning to glass over.

Spock's heart sank. He didn't want to see her cry, he had no idea of how to handle it. The young man had only seen her come close to crying at her brother's funeral, never actually doing it.

"How?"

His mind raced with something, anything, to say to her, anything to make her feel better. Anything to keep her from crying.

Trya stared at him, her eyes pleading as she heard all the different theories, voices, and so many emotions she was beginning to get nauseous. She tired to steady her mind but it wasn't something she was used to.

"Please stop." she said beginning to grip her temples. "Please for the love of the Gods stop thinking so much."

The random command simply made Spock think more. What did she honestly expect was going to happen when she asked a logical being who did nothing but think to stop?

"Please..." she said louder, her voice begging. "Please stop!"

As Spock stared at her, the tools and different pieces of medical equipment began to shake in their places. Trya clenched her eyes shut, her hands clamped over her ears, trying to stop the voices, trying to shut them up. Her mind was being bombarded with so many thoughts, and emotions she couldn't control. She couldn't drown them out, they fought their way into her head, refusing to stop.

The confusion of the voices was beginning to hurt. It felt as though someone was ripping her head apart, trying to split her skull and see what's inside.

"Ah!" she screamed.

As she held her head and screamed out, a few bottles of medicine shattered, their liquid spilling onto the shelves. Spock jumped. There was no avoiding it. He had only heard stories about the 'rampage' the Queen had gone on, never seeing any of it. He was frightened and although his face was blank, he was sure she knew it.

"Help me." she begged, looking into his face with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please make it stop."

"I am unsure of how. I am not positive what is happening." he replied as he stepped closer to her.

"The entire crew..." she whispered before squeezing her eyes shut once more. "I hear them all...ah!...I feel everything!"

His heart dropped in his chest. Pity swelled inside him for his friend. There was only one thing he could do...

"How's she..." a voice said after the whoosh of the door to the med bay.

The two turned and saw not only Kirk, but McCoy walk into the bay. The two immediately froze. Kirk was unaware she had even woken up. He had just ended a long shift on the bridge and thought he would come and pay her a visit before going to his quarters when he ran into McCoy in the halls. The two of them had walked right in on something and had no idea what it was.

"Trya, you alright?" Kirk asked, coming to her side almost instantly.

Spock felt a bolt of jealousy run through him at the sight of the Captain touching her. It wasn't inappropriate at all, he was simply holding her shoulders trying to look into her eyes as she kept holding onto her head, but he didn't like it.

"Stop it." she snapped, her eyes glaring at Spock.

"Jesus..." Kirk exclaimed as he jumped back.

The two men stared at her, their mouths hanging open before McCoy slowly walked to their side to see what the problem was. He couldn't help himself, the gasp simply came out. Trya glared at the Vulcan, her eyes completely black. There wasn't a pupil, an iris or even a white part. Her eyes, every bit of them was black. She had almost completely transformed from the beautiful young woman to some form a demon. That was the best word they could use to describe it.

"Jealousy..." she hissed, still staring at Spock, "Lust..." she hissed at Kirk, "And Fear..." she said to Bones. "So many thoughts... emotions..." she said before crying out in pain once more. "Please make it stop..."

She held her head once more, her eyes closing again before looking back at the young men.

"Please make it stop." she begged, her eyes suddenly back to normal.

"I am sorry." Spock whispered to her as he walked up to her and gave her the familiar pinch to her shoulder.

Within seconds, the young woman fell asleep, nearly falling off the cot before Spock leaned forward and caught her. Her head fell onto his shoulder as he pressed her body against his. She fell into his grip, and it felt almost comfortable as he cradled her for a moment. It was easy for him to smell the sweet sent that always emanated from her skin. Spock felt himself disappear into the moment for a while before remembering himself.

Knowing the other were watching him, he scooped her into his arms and laid her gently on the cot once more. He let his hand rest of her face, moving a few strands of hair out of the way before turning to the others.

"We have to get her planet side." he told them seriously.

"What just happened here?" Kirk asked nervously.

"A side effect." Spock stated simply. "We must get her into the shuttle and take her planet side before anything else happens. I will hail the King."

As Spock turned to leave the room, Kirk felt something rise in him that he didn't much want to repress, anger.

"Wait!" he snapped.

Spock froze mid-step and pivoted so he could stare at the Captain with a questioning look.

"You are going to tell me what the hell happened here." he said taking a few steps closer to the man. "Because I know you're holding something back and I'm tired of you not giving me the whole story."

Spock thought for a moment, looking from the Captain to the Doctor. He didn't want to be the one to tell him any of this, but he had to. There was honestly nothing left to do.

"What would you like to know?" Spock asked calmly as he made his way back into the room.

Kirk thought for a moment. He had so many questions running through his head that he wasn't completely sure where the hell to begin. Perhaps something simple would be the best way.

"What just happened?" he repeated.

"The Princess in experiencing the side effects Dr. McCoy had previously stated were a possibility."

"Side effects?" he asked turning to the doctor.

McCoy simply shrugged, his mouth opening in order to say something but nothing coming to mind.

"Feel free to explain." Kirk told Bones, but before the man could answer, Spock spoke up.

"Dr. McCoy told me about the possibility of side effects. He explained there was a chance the traits of the donor would be passed onto the Princess due to the sheer amount of blood being transferred. He was unable to calculate the percentage of that possibility but as we did not have time to properly prepare, I thought it best to move ahead."

"You knew something like this could happen?" Kirk asked angrily. He wasn't sure what he was angry about. It was a toss up between being left out of something this important and that something might be truly wrong with the young woman.

"I was not positive, but I knew it might happen." he replied calmly.

"Okay... Then what was passed onto her?" Kirk asked. "What the hell is wrong with her now?"

"She seems to have inherited the same traits as her mother."

"What the hell does her mother have to do with this?" Kirk asked before noticing Bones look away and Spock hesitate. "The prisoner... You're telling me the prisoner is Tryallah's mother?"

Spock simply nodded.

"What the hell could she have done to be sentenced to a cell for an eternity?" Kirk asked, finally taking a seat on a nearby chair.

"I have only heard stories." Spock told him, his arms still crossed behind his back.

"That's more then I know." he told him sarcastically. "So why don't you tell us a story?"

"Decades ago," Spock began solemnly. "Queen Nureal had begun to exhibit symptoms. She had complained of headaches, being able to hear things, objects moving or breaking when she was angry and feeling others emotions. The elders of their race told stories of a 'demon' that would take control over certain members of the royal family. They were never clear as to what that meant. She finally lost control of herself and destroyed almost half of the city, killing hundreds of thousands of civilians. The King could not bring himself to execute his wife, the mother of his children. Instead, he sentenced her to life, sedated until she died naturally, trapped with in her own mind."

"How do you know this?"

"My father told me the story when I was a child."

"Why would he know this?"

"The Princess and I had become close friends in my youth and when my father went to the King, for reasons which I am still unsure, he felt the need to tell him that story. Perhaps he was afraid history would repeat itself."

"Is it hereditary?" Bones asked, finally thinking of something to say.

"I do not know. This is all i was told. You will have to consult the King when we arrive back on her world." Spock said stoically.

"Which we should probably do soon. I don't know how long it will be before she wakes up from that." Bones said, remembering there was no set time limit on a Vulcan neck pinch.

"Agreed." Kirk said standing. "But you and I aren't done talking yet." he said pointing to Spock before walking through the doors. "I'll prep a shuttle." he shouted back.

**~Thanx for the comments Vulcanvamp!~**


	19. The Past and Present Collide

**~~Chapter 19: The Past and the Present Collide~~**

"I don't understand." Thaus stated simply as he looked down at the unconscious body of his daughter.

His hand came up and light caressed her face, moving her hair to the side. His heart was heavy as he tried to comprehend what he was being told.

"She has begun exhibiting the same traits as the Queen." Spock replied again.

"How is this possible? My daughter was unaware of Nureal's existence."

"The transfusion..." Kirk said solemnly. "After the transfusion, she woke up and... That's when all this began..."

"I never should have let her leave..." he mumbled to himself, placing a kiss on Trya's forehead before addressing the Captain and Spock. "How long will this last?"

"We don't know." Kirk replied.

"So this may be permanent?"

"Your majesty, it may be prudent to know how this occurred last time, to better assess our current situation."

The King sighed as he stepped away from Trya. He paced for a moment, trying to find the words and prepare himself for reliving the past. It was a horrible event that he never wanted to think of again.

"Some time ago..." he began. "My darling wife... She had always experienced a heightened sense of awareness. Since her childhood, she was always able to do things with her mind. I believe the term your people use is 'psychic'." he told Kirk before continuing. "She was able to hear things that remained unspoken, move things without touching them... Her parents were frightened of what she had become. Thinking she was a monster, they took her to the elders, forcing them to suppress the abilities."

He paused once more, the pacing continuing.

"When she was pregnant with Tryallah, something went wrong. Her labor was unnatural. She experienced so much pain that the doctors feared she wouldn't survive. The emotional and physical damage had taken its toll on her mind and body. You must understand, my wife had never been able to allow her gift to grow..." he said facing the men. "I know that if her parents hadn't intervened, this never would have happened... She started complaining of headaches, hearing things that weren't there... One night, before Trya's first birthday, she had some form of an attack. She was screaming, she said there was so much pain, so many different voices screaming in her head... she couldn't quiet them..."

Spock felt his back tighten. It was the same thing Trya had complained of, the same thing she had felt...

"Her eyes blackened when the pain became too great. There was no controlling her after that. Everything that had been bottled up inside, any anger, or hatred was set free. She destroyed nearly all of our city with nothing more then a wave of her hand. More then six hundred and forty thousand Furians lost their life..." he paused once more. "When the part of my wife that was sane surfaced, I had her sedated. I know I should have had her sentenced to death, but I couldn't. I love her. Part of me knew there was a chance my daughter would inherit her ability and thought it best she did not know she was the catalyst of those events. But after the first few years, when she showed no signs, I knew she would be safe from the same fate as her mother."

"Until she got hurt..." Kirk muttered.

"Has she hurt anyone?" he asked them, his eyes glassy.

The Captain and Commander shook their heads.

"It lasted only for a moment, there was no time." Spock replied quietly.

"What shall we do now?" The King asked himself.

Spock's mind raced with thoughts, trying to calculate the likely hood that the symptoms would be temporary versus permanent. He knew she was strong enough to conquer the inner demons and he was certain, if given the chance, he could help her control it.

"Who brought her through the possession?" Thaus finally asked.

"What do ya mean?" Kirk asked curiously.

"With my wife, it wasn't until she saw her infant daughter that she freed herself from her demons. Which of you brought her out of her delirium?"

Spock and Kirk looked from one another before shaking their heads. Neither of them had done anything to help her. She had pressed through it on her own before hurting anyone or causing too much damage. She had controlled it herself.

"The Princess was able to clear her mind on her own." Spock finally said. "Do you think it would be possible for her to control this power?"

The King shrugged. He knew how strong his daughter was, how determined, but he had also seen first hand, what could happen otherwise. He was conflicted, heart sick, and terrified something bad would happen. But as he looked down at his daughter, sleeping peacefully on her soft bed, he felt something he hadn't felt in a long time. Hope. He felt his insides swell with hope that she could pull through alright, that she would be able to live a long, normal life.

He had long since hoped that he would hear the pitter patter of little feet running through the palace. He wanted to resign his throne to her next year as he had planned. He wanted this nightmare and streak of horrible luck to finally end and his last remaining child to find a husband and have her own life.

The thoughts of her future made his mind up for him. She was young, still a child in the Furian standard, and he didn't want her life to be spent in a coma as her mother will.

"She deserves a chance to live her life." Thaus finally said. "She deserves to wake up."

Spock was elated, despite his calm exterior. He was possitive he could help her.


	20. Point of No Return

**~~Chapter 20: Point of No Return~~~**

Trya hovered a few feet above the ground, her hair and clothing waving lightly in a breeze that simply wasn't there. Her black eyes stared back at the frightened men. Spock felt his stomach drop at the sight of her. She was truly horrifying. The usually serene young woman looked menacingly demonic. That was the best phrase any of them could come up with. She quite honestly looked like a demon.

The King's heart puttered weakly at the sight of his only child. His beautiful, kind daughter was transformed into the same monster her mother had become all those years ago. He couldn't hurt her, not the only one he had left, but he had no choice. She was too dangerous to let roam around.

"Trya, calm yourself." Thaus told her as he walked closer to her.

_Please don't make me do this to you..._ she heard him think. Despite the words never escaping his mouth, they echoed in her head.

The young woman's empty eyes glanced around her seeing the multitude of guards surrounding her. At minimum, two dozen, heavily armed, Furian men stood around her, waiting for the order. She eyed them all as her mind filled with the emotions, thoughts and plots of the men in the room.

"Come on Trya, come on down from there and we can talk." Kirk pleaded.

Her head simply cocked to the side, ignoring his request. He felt on edge, her eyes burning into him, revealing any hidden thoughts or secrets. He couldn't help it, she scared him.

"Princess, you are letting this force control you. You must resist its urges." Spock told her authoritatively.

"No." she finally answered, her voice hollow and echoing although it was barely louder then a whisper.

The sound that escaped her throat was unlike anything the men had heard before. Nothing about it was Trya. She was gone.

"You must calm yourself and stop this." Thaus said once more, commanding more authority.

A menacing smile crossed her face before she began to laugh. The horrible sound filled their ears along with the vast room. It was unnerving, and made their hair stand on end.

"You must be joking." she laughed.

"Princess, you are not acting like yourself." Spock finally said, taking a step forward.

Her eyes shot to him and Spock couldn't help the sensation of his insides jumping.

"They're right." Kirk said coming forward as well. "You're not being yourself. I may not have known you as long Spock, and I sure as hell haven't known you as long as your dad, but I know for a fact this isn't you."

"You know nothing of me!" she snapped angrily.

Kirk physically jumped at her reaction.

"I am finally free." she said with another grin. "I can do anything with a thought, have anything, be anything. I am finally powerful, and I am not giving it up."

"Look at yourself, this is ridiculous." Kirk snapped.

"Ridiculous?" Trya hissed. "Ridiculous is the way you stare at me, trying you best to keep your thoughts from racing but having no luck. I have seen all of your thoughts, heard you deep, dark secrets. Every erotic fantasy that passes though your tiny little brain sounds loudly in my head."

Spock and King Thaus shot Kirk a hateful glare. All the young Captain could do was look away as his face filled with a bright crimson color.

"And you..." she said turning to Spock. "Don't you dare assume I have not read your thoughts as well. You who pride yourself on being stoic have the most lecherous thoughts I have ever experienced."

Despite the lack of reaction on his face, there was no way for Spock to avoid the same coloring taking over his skin as the captain's.

"And you father..." she finally said, her voice still eerily calm and low. "You are ashamed of me. You wish to lock me away in the same cold, dark prison as mother. You want to watch me rot, from the inside out, and pretend I never existed."

"That's not true." he said calmly. "I only want what's best for you."

"Liar!" she yelled, the windows in the large room shattering, glass flying through the air and landing on the ground like thousands of sharp flakes. "You want me disappear into the darkness, never to be spoken of or thought of again."

"No. I love you..."

"Liar!" she repeated, this time the earth shook slightly. "Stop lying to me. I hear your thoughts, everything you wish hidden I see."

The King didn't know what to say. He knew her mind was clouded, there was nothing of his daughter left. The same monster had consumed yet another person he loved and now he had no choice...

Slowly, the man's hand came up from his side and with a slight flick of his wrist, he gave the signal for the soldiers to shoot. the sound of guns firing sounded loudly, bouncing effortlessly off the stones walls. Spock and Kirk couldn't help but jump at the sound.

The firing finally ceased when the soldier's guns were empty. Half expecting her to be riddled with the tranquiler darts, the men were shocked to see them hovering in the air around her. Slowly, her hand came forward and plucked one of the frozen darts out of the air. She examined it for a moment before letting it fall to the floor. The sound of the dart hitting the ground was the only one heard.

Trya's hand came up a little higher and with a flick of her wrist, the darts flew back to the men that shot them, planting themselves deeply into the soldiers. Another eerie smile crossed her lips as the dozens of men fell to the ground unconscious.

They watched, horror struck as she descended and let her bare feet land lightly on the cool, marble floor.

"Did you think it would be so easy father?" she asked wickedly.

"Tryallah, you must control yourself." he said assertively.

"I don't think so." she said mockingly.

As she advanced on the small group, she heard something move from behind her. Thaus saw the movement, his eyes growing wide.

"No!" he shouted, his hand coming up to stop the unseen force.

Trya's hand came over her shoulder while she still faced the men, and with another flick of her wrist, she sent the 'threat' flying into the wall. A soldier cried out in pain as he hit the wall with a crushing force. She turned to find the young man, pinned tightly to the wall, with a gun in his hand. Only two darts clung to his armor, apparently they hadn't hit him hard enough.

She crept closer to the man, her hand still outstretched keeping him from moving. Her head cocked to the side as her black eyes stared at the poor man. Her other hand came up and motioned for the gun to leave his grip. The inanimate object flew to the side and came to an abrupt halt, hovering in the air. The evil young woman clenched her hand that was controlling it into a fist, decimating the gun before letting it crumple to the ground. Slowly, with a menacing grin, the fingers on her other hand began to clench it into a fist.

The soldier screamed loudly, pain dripping from his voice. She was torturing him and what was worse, she was laughing. Trya's laughter echoed in Spock's ears along with the sound of the young man. They watched, helpless, as she continued to twist her hand, causing him more and more pain. His scream sent shivers down the men's back, chilling them to the bone. It was a sound of absolute suffering.

"Trya stop!" Spock yelled.

The young woman ignored him, not hearing his voice. Her ears rang with the glorious sounds from her victim. She was thoroughly enjoying herself until she felt something clamp down on her arms.

Tryallah was ripped violently from her concentration, turned to face someone as the soldier fell limply to the ground. Spock glared at her, holding her tightly in his grip.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled as she sent Spock flying into the air.

The young Vulcan flew, feet into the air before landing on the hard, marble floor. The bone crunching sound made Kirk shutter. Spock laid on the ground, a motionless lump. Pain radiated through his body from hitting the ground with such a tremendous force. With his arms shaking, Spock tried to stand once more. He sputtered and coughed, green blood littering the white marble floor, unaware the Trya was coming closer to him.

Her face still cold, Trya placed her foot under his shoulder and flipped Spock onto his back. She eyed him evilly, her eyes uncaring as she examined him. He was weak, bloodied and bruised. A pool of green blood in the corner of his mouth.

"Don't ever touch me again." she hissed as she waved her hand once more.

Spock flew through the air, hitting the closest wall hard. He let out a loud cry at the impact. He felt as though there was a weight on his chest, pinning him to the hard surface. He tried his hardest to turn his face to see the young woman walking closer to him. Her clawed hand still hung in the air, holding him tightly. He looked at her with curious eyes as she began to twist her fingers.

He couldn't hold it back. Spock screamed loudly in pain. His insides felt as though they were being twisted and pulled in every different direction. The pain was excruciating. His voice echoed loudly, dripping with pain and hurt. His face contorted as she continued to torture him, her face unchanging.

_Inside, through the blackness, through the mist, Trya heard a familiar voice in pain. She looked around, trying to find it, but she couldn't see. Everything was dark. She knew the voice, she felt the pain. Spock. What was going on? She had to help him. She had to find a way out of this..._

_"Stop it!" she screamed, nothing but her own voice echoing back. "You're killing him!"_

_She couldn't see anything but she knew something was happening to him._

_"Stop!" she screamed again, tears falling from her eyes._

_"No..." a deep voice hissed back._

_Fear gripped her as she searched for the source of the sound._

_"Who... who are you?" she asked weakly._

_"I am you." it replied._

_"No. You can't be..."_

_"You were weak." it growled back. "I am in control now..."_

_Trya felt herself fall to her knees, pulling them to her chest to comfort herself. There was nothing, only the darkness looking back and the horrible sound of pain ringing in her sensitive ears._

Kirk watched as a man he had known for a few years at this point, screamed and cried out for this to stop. He had never seen anything like this before and refused to let it continue. His stomach turned as he noticed Spock biting his lip, more green blood forming. the Vulcan was trying to stop himself from screaming with little success. As he cried out once more, Kirk saw something in the corners of his eyes. Tears. Spock was in so much pain, he was actually on the verge of crying. Jim had enough.

"Trya!" he yelled loudly. "Look at yourself! Look at what you're doing to him!"

The voice in the distance broke through the haze. Tryallah felt the thick air begin to fade from around her and as though she was slapped in the face, everything around her became clear. She saw Spock's face twisting in pain and immediately realized it was her that was causing it.

Her hand retracted and came to her face. Spock instantly fell to the ground. She stared at him for a moment, lying motionless on the ground. when she took a step forward to try and rush to his side, a few new guards stepped in front of her.

"Spock..." she said quietly.

The man didn't move. Her heart sank as she stared at him, willing him to move and he wouldn't. All she wanted was a sign, some indication that he was alive, but none came. Tears burned her eyes before breaking free and flowing down her cheeks. Her breath caught in her throat, she couldn't breathe. She tried but it wouldn't come.

"Spock!" she cried out.

He still didn't respond. Trya felt her knees give out as she fell to the cold ground. Her hands came to her face as she tried to hide, tried to make everything go away. If she couldn't see it, then it wasn't real. When she opened her eyes, she was going to be back on the Enterprise and Spock would be okay.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. The nightmare hadn't changed. The four soldiers stood in front of her, Spock's body still lay on the ground and it was still her fault.

"What have I done..." she whispered to herself. "Oh Gods..."

Trya began to sob harder, her chest hurting with each gasp for air. As she lay on the ground, hunched over her bent knees, her head on the floor, she felt everything inside her die. She had killed someone she cared about, some one she loved. She was a monster... She had to be stopped.

As she tried to steady her breath, Trya stood and turned to the others. Kirk's face was pale, he was unable to move, unable to do anything. The fear bellowed from him like smoke, engulfing the young woman. It made her sick to her stomach. Finally, she turned to her father. His face was sad. She sobbed harder, knowing she had broken his heart. She had disappointed her father, killed Spock and now Kirk was frightened for his life around her. Everything was over.


	21. Only Regrets and Memories of Things

**~~~Final 21: Only Regrets and Memories of Things Undone~~~**

Spock's head throbbed, his chest hurt, and his body was sore. He tried to pry open his eyes and immediately regretted it. There was a bright light, blinding him, searing his retinas. He grunted, his hand coming to his face to shield himself only to feel a tug on his arm. The Vulcan turned to see an IV stuck deep into a vein in his right arm. The infirmary, of course it was. Slowly, his eyes adjusted and Spock did his best to see the room around him with little luck.

"You have been sleeping for a week now." a calm voice said from the shadows.

Spock turned to the direction of the voice, struggling to see who it had come from. Slowly, the speaker came into view. The light trailed up a familiar body until there she stood. Tryallah.

He felt his heartbeat race as she stepped closer, soon completely enveloped in the light. Part of him was frightened of her, and for good reason, while another part wondered how she had gotten there. Her eyes eventually came to meet his. They had returned to their normal color, the same bright blues and purples, but they were red from crying, her cheeks were glistening with spent tears and she kept glancing down at her folded hands. He was unsure of how to react to this situation. He didn't want her to cry, but she had tried to kill him.

"I am so sorry old friend." she finally said, her hands coming to her face to try and hide once more.

Trya's hands covered her face completely, muffling the sounds of her crying. She was ashamed of herself and didn't want him to see her. She didn't deserve to be here talking to him. She knew it. But part of her wanted to make him understand, part of her wanted to make sure he knew she didn't mean it.

He simply watched her, unable to think of anything to do.

"I never meant to hurt you. I never meant for any of this to happen. I am so sorry..." she cried, collapsing next to his bed, her head coming to rest on his bare stomach.

For a moment, Spock was afraid to do anything. Was he supposed to comfort her for trying to kill him? Was he supposed to shun her despite having known her for the past few decades? His inside were more conflicted then he had ever thought possible. But as she sat there on her knees, the heat of her face nearly burning his skin as she cried, he couldn't help himself.

Spock's hand came to rest on her head, stroking her hair softly. He didn't want to be the reason she cried. His logical side knew that he shouldn't be trying to comfort her, but he also knew, whatever that thing was, it wasn't Tryallah. Those weren't her eyes looking back at him when she had attacked him, it was her voice that spoke to him, it simply wasn't her. That was thought he used to justify hims actions and it was all he needed.

As he laid there, watching her cry into him, he had suddenly realized she was on the ship with him.

"How did you get here?" he asked, his voice weak and broken.

Her face lifted to see him staring down at her. His hand came up and guide a strand of loose hair away from her face.

"I had to see you. To make sure you were alright..." she mumbled.

"They don't know you're here do they?" he asked, his voice still quiet and his chest hurting as he spoke. Broken ribs... go figure.

Trya slowly shook her head. Spock watched her face and couldn't stop himself once more. His hand came up and lightly wiped away the streams left behind by the tears on her cheeks.

At the light touch on her skin, Tryallah let her face fall into the curves of his hand. She knew she didn't deserve some one like him in her life. She knew what she deserved and this was nothing close to it. But part of her needed this. She needed to know he forgave her even if she would never forgive herself.

Trya couldn't help herself. She slowly stood and moved closer to him. Spock watched as she climbed onto the bed and began to move the back of it up. Once Spock was in a sitting position, she curled up next to him.

He felt his left arm come down over her shoulder as he held her to his chest, her arm resting lightly across his stomach. He didn't know why he was letting his emotions take hold of him like they were, but there was no one around so it didn't matter. He wanted to hold her, despite what she had done, and he didn't care what any one would have thought if they had seen it.

As he held her close to him, he felt her heart beating erratically against his skin. He wondered why she would have been so nervous and then it dawned on him. She was frightened someone was going to come in and find her on the ship. Then he couldn't help but think about what she had done to him in the first place. His mind raced with questions to ask her and as though she was reading his mind, and she probably had, she spoke up.

"I don't remember anything." she muttered. "Apparently, you have internal bleeding, but I don't know what I did..." she began to cry once more.

Spock felt her chest sputter as she struggled to breathe between the sobs. Instinctively he held her closer. He didn't want her to hurt, he didn't want her to torture herself about this. His hand came down and lightly touched her cheek as he looked down at her. Slowly, her head tilted up to see his warm, kind eyes staring down at her.

"I never meant for it to happen. I can't stop seeing your face... when I was hurting you..." tears began to flow from her eyes once more. "I can still hear you screaming..."

He didn't want her to cry anymore and all he could think to do was kiss her. He didn't care that his human side was winning over his Vulcan side. He didn't care that she had nearly killed him. He didn't care about any of it. All Spock wanted to do right now, was to make her stop crying.

Spock's heart raced as his lips touched hers. His hand cradled the back of her head as he held her closer to him, finally getting the chance to taste her. His grip tightened in her hair as she received him lovingly, her fingertips digging into his skin as her fist clenched. A quiet moan escaped her throat at his touch as his tongue lightly touched hers.

As though moving on its own, his left hand came around her body and shifted her into his lap. His strong hand slid down her body, helping her adjust better onto him when he noticed something wasn't right. He kissed her softly a few more times before pulling back slightly, enough to stare into her eyes.

Another strand of hair had fallen into her face and as he slid it behind her ear, he knew his previous assessment was right. His mind was flooded with conflicting thoughts as he stared at her. Trya's eyes fell and it was then he knew he was right. He felt her move forward and hug him tightly. His arms came up and grabbed her, holding her to his chest. It was then Spock felt her begin to shake.

His heart sank. He knew he was right and this was simply his confirmation. After a few moments, she had steadied herself and pulled away. Spock cradled her head in his hand for a moment, her forehead resting on his.

"None of this is real... is it?" he finally asked.

She cried quietly, tears falling onto the sheet that covered the lower half of his body. Finally, she shook her head.

"That is why you appear so human. Your ears, your nails and your tail are all gone."

He felt her nod. Spock's heart skipped a beat as he held her. Again, she began shake, this time more intensely then before. He couldn't stop himself from grabbing her tightly in his arms. It felt as though someone was gripping his heart in their hands, twisting it tightly as her tears fell onto his shoulder.

"If this is not real, then what is it?" he asked quietly, still holding her.

"A dream... You're still sleeping on the Enterprise." she whimpered.

"Then where are you?"

She hesitated and he knew why.

"I am home on Furia..."

Spock pulled her away from him. She didn't want to look into his face, she glanced around for something, anything, that wasn't his face. He wasn't going to have it and grabbed her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him.

"You ran away?"

She jerked her head from him hand.

"You willingly let them take you..." he muttered.

Trya slowly nodded.

"Why?"

"I deserve to be hidden away." she finally answered. "I'm too dangerous to be around civilization."

"That is ridiculous." he said angrily grabbing her head and forcing her to look at him once more. "That was not your fault."

"Yes it was." she replied, tears reappearing. "I couldn't control myself. Jim won't speak with me, I nearly killed you and my father can't bare to look at me without seeing my mother. I can't be around anyone any longer."

"Then why have you come here?"

"I wanted to say goodbye." she answered simply.

Spock stared into her eyes, hoping to find some sign that she wasn't telling the truth, something that let him know this was all some nightmare. He had already felt the pain of her leaving before and now that the two of them had grown closer together after so long, despite all of the stupid things he had said, he wasn't about to lose her again.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, her eyes closing, releasing the remaining tears.

While he stared at her, his vision became fuzzy. The bright light had begun to take over once more and her outline was becoming distorted. He reached for her, trying to hold her tighter, closer, trying to keep her from disappearing but the light soon became too much for him to handle and he had to close his eyes. His arm darted out, one last time to try and find her. As he searched, he felt an arm.

He sighed in relief, she was still there. Spock's grip tightened to ensure she wouldn't leave until the light dimmed. When it was finally tolerable, he opened his eyes once again. There were still a few lingering orbs of light from what ever had been shining into his eyes, but when they cleared, he was able to see. Held tightly in his hand was fabric, blue fabric. Something was wrong.

Spock shot up in his bed and immediately regretted it. The blood rushed from his brain, draining him of not only color, but coherency.

"Whoa, ya got to lay down." a male voice told him.

Spock instantly felt hands on his shoulders, ushering him back down on the table.

"The light freaked him out." another voice said.

"I had to check his responsiveness."

Spock blinked a few more times and noticed the cloth he held in his hands was attached to a Star Fleet uniform. The man inside the uniform, was McCoy, the source of the first voice. Next to him, the other pair of hands that had held the Vulcan down, was Kirk.

"Where is she?" Spock asked groggily as he tried to sit up again.

"You've got to lay down. You've been sedated for the past week so you can't be moving too quick." McCoy told him.

"Where is she?" Spock asked again.

"Who?" Kirk asked.

"Trya. i must speak with her. Where did she go?"

"She was here?"

Spock nodded as his eyes trained on the Captain.

"That's not possible Spock."

"Why? Where is she?"

"Back on her planet." he sighed. "After she went nuts on you, she gave up and let them take her away."

"We have to go back. I want to speak with her."

"You can't." Kirk told him simply.

"Why?"

"The King said it'd probably be best... if you didn't see her anymore. Especially after what happened."

"I can handle myself." he said angrily. "I want to see her."

"It doesn't matter if we do or not." Kirk replied. "They took her to an undisclosed location."

"Why would Thaus do that?" he snapped.

"It wasn't him..." Jim said quietly. "It was her idea. She knew you'd go looking for her."

Spock's back hit the hospital bed. He stared up at the ceiling and felt his body tingle in the places she had touched him. It had been so real. His whole dream, if you could call it that, was so real. Her touch, her sent, her kiss... they all remained when she hadn't.

"You need to get some more rest." Kirk finally said. "I'll see you later."

With one swift pat on the shoulder, the Captain disappeared through the Med Bay doors. Kirk knew in his heart that Trya had most likely visited Spock in his dreams like she had him. He thought it was a nightmare at first, the young woman popping up while he was in a sea of beautiful women. She explained everything to him, begged his forgiveness, and after lengthy conversation, he gave it to her. Despite the sheer amount of fear he felt for her 'demonic' form, he found that he loved her dearly as a friend and was going to mourn her departure. But his heart felt for Spock the most, knowing that deep down, he would take it harder then anyone else. Kirk couldn't help but look over his shoulder at the doors once more before heading down the halls. For the first time, he prayed the Vulcan side would take over and spare his friend.

McCoy remained in the Med Bay only long enough to remove the IV from Spock's arm as he continued to stare at the ceiling. When Spock felt the needle pulled free from his arm, he heard the good doctor mutter something.

"Is there a problem?" Spock asked as he turned his head to face Bones.

"Huh? No, its just..." he said before grabbing a portion of Spock's blanket and examining it. "Something got on your blanket."

Spock eyed him for a moment before glancing down to the spot, directly in the center of the sheet covering the lower half of his body. He felt his back tighten as he stared at the familiar, damp spots.

~~Fin~~


End file.
